Queanbeyan Whites lock Zeph Tuinona bound for Japan's Top League

The Queanbeyan street in question? It's surrounded by shipping containers, barbed wire fences, and timber yards - but it's fast becoming a professional football factory.

Queanbeyan Whites lock Zeph Tuinona will trade the John I Dent Cup for Tokyo after signing with Top League outfit Hino Red Dolphins. It comes after his housemate Fred Kaihea inked a contract with the ACT Brumbies.

Tuinona has been on the Brumbies' radar in recent years but jumped at the opportunity to secure his future abroad in the landscape of a global pandemic.

He could have been forgiven for thinking he had missed a golden chance to impress when last month's under 20 Oceania championship was postponed.

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But sure enough, the Red Dolphins came knocking for the would-be Junior Wallaby.

"After 20s was cancelled, my manager got in contact with me and said 'there is a team in Japan that's looking at you'," Tuinona said.

"Things led to things, we let the Brumbies know, and it just snowballed. I had to make a decision whether to stay or to leave.

"We looked at what I could get out of going overseas, one is the financial side and the other part of is the development side too, especially being in a professional environment. It just seemed like the right option to take the Japan deal.

"It's probably one of the hardest decisions I've had to make rugby-wise, because obviously the Brumbies got me straight out of high school.

"I came down when I was 17, turning 18, and I don't think I would be where I am without coming down to Canberra. It's probably one of the best decisions I've made. It turned me into the player and person I am today.

"Obviously I didn't really want to leave, but sometimes the right decision is not the easiest. It's definitely one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make."

Because Tuinona has been in the Brumbies' sights. The former John I Dent Cup team of the year member has trained with the club's Super Rugby squad.

The Brumbies lured Tuinona to Canberra from the Brisbane State High School, where he had quickly emerged as a force to be reckoned with in Queensland Reds development pathways.

While the pursuit of a Super Rugby debut with the Brumbies will now take a backseat, Tuinona is adamant his Super Rugby dream doesn't end here.

"It's looking like we're staying there for three years, and hopefully if things go well over there, maybe I can come back and try to crack Super Rugby," Tuinona said.

"Playing in Japan is a super great opportunity, but nothing beats playing in front of your friends and family, especially at this level in Australia. Super Rugby is definitely still in the picture for me, it's something I still want to try to crack."

Tuinona has played a key role in Queanbeyan's late charge to the John I Dent Cup finals but the competition is on hold with the ACT and NSW forced into lockdown.

The Whites would need to play the last round of the regular season to secure a top four berth, making for a nervous wait with lockdowns in regional NSW and the ACT set to have a major impact across all grades.

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