Hohepa Puru didn't know a lot about his Indigenous culture when he was younger, until his auntie started to educate him.
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It's why he's both excited and nervous about immersing himself in the Indigenous All Stars camp.
He's eligible for both the Indigenous and Maori All Stars, with both sides reaching out to him last year - but he wanted to focus on getting ready for his first season with the Canberra Raiders.
This year he's set to make his NRL All Stars debut when he was named in the Indigenous side on Thursday.
He was part of a bumper crop of 10 Raiders named in the men's and women's squads.
Trey Mooney, Joe Tapine and Matt Timoko were in the men's Maori All Stars, with Tapine a chance to captain the side for a third year in a row.
From the NRLW Green Machine, Tommaya Kelly-Sines and Grace Kemp were named in the women's Indigenous All Stars, while Kerehitina Matua, Ashleigh Quinlan, Chante Temara and Zahara Temara were picked for the Maori squad.
Puru's New Zealand-born mother is Maori and his father is Indigenous.
He's a proud Dharug man, having been born and bred in Blacktown, but he also has ties to the Mununjali people of Queensland - who were also Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty's people.
He's looking forward to immersing himself in his culture ahead of the All Stars game at Townsville next Friday.
"It means a lot ... I'm honestly nervous about going into camp because I don't know what to expect from a cultural and football standpoint," Puru told The Canberra Times.
"Mum is full Maori and dad is full Aboriginal. I don't have the strongest connection to my Indigenous side because dad wasn't a big part of the picture growing up.
"But I do have a really strong relationship with my auntie, dad's sister, and she filled the gaps in growing up about our Indigenous side and culture.
"Living and breathing the culture with other football players is going to be an unreal experience and it's something I'm nervous about - because I don't have that strong connection - but it also excites me to learn more about the culture and be a part of that environment."
Puru's locked in a battle to be part of the Raiders 17 come round one against the Newcastle Knights on March 7.
With Canberra lock Corey Horsburgh suspended for that opener, it's opened the door to either start or fill a bench role in Newcastle.
Puru showed he was an NRL player of the future when he made his NRL debut at the end of last season.
That's given him the confidence he can secure a spot over the final few weeks of pre-season.
The No.13 jersey was his preference for the Indigenous All Stars side - although he could also play hooker if called on.
He saw England international Morgan Smithies as his main rival to be the Raiders lock.
"There's no guarantees on who's got that [No.13 jersey] right now," Puru said.
"I'm going to put my best foot forward, keep training the house down, that's all I can do.
"I would say my main competition right now would be Morgan Smithies.
"It's a very healthy competition - whenever there's scrimmages we're always opposing 13s."
Indigenous All Stars (Men): Josh Addo-Carr, Jacob Alick, Bailey Biondi-Odo, Bailey Butler, Josh Curran, Adam Elliott, Jordan Grant, J'maine Hopgood, Nicho Hynes, Josh Kerr, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Latrell Mitchell, Shaquai Mitchell, Kierran Moseley, Hohepa Puru, Kotoni Staggs, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Isaiah Tass, Braydon Trindall, Cody Walker. Coach: Ronald Griffiths
Mori All Stars (Men): Jessie Arthars, Kenny Bromwich, Dane Gagai, Jacob Gagai, Jack Howarth, Jahrome Hughes, Royce Hunt, Te Maire Martin, Trey Mooney, Briton Nikora, Kodi Nikorima, Adam Pompey, Joseph Tapine, Jazz Tevaga, Leo Thompson, Matthew Timoko, Brandon Smith, Dylan Walker, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Xavier Willison. Coach: Adam Blair
Indigenous All Stars (Women): Shaylee Bent, Jaime Chapman, Kirra Dibb, Quincy Dodd, Monique Donovan, Taliah Fuimaono, Tallisha Harden, Kimberley Hunt, Keilee Joseph, Tommaya Kelly-Sines, Grace Kemp, Olivia Kernick, Bobbi Law, Mahalia Murphy, Jasmine Peters, Taneka Todhunter, Tamika Upton, Janelle Williams. Coach: Jess Skinner
Mori All Stars (Women): Brooke Anderson, Corban Baxter, Annessa Biddle, Destiny Brill, Kennedy Cherrington, Zali Fay, Mya Hill-Moana, Shannon Mato, Kerehitina Matua, Raecene McGregor, Shanice Parker, Rima Pirini Butler, Ashleigh Quinlan, Tiana Raftstrand-Smith, Jasmin Strange, Chante Temara, Zahara Temara, Botille Vette-Welsh. Coach: Keith Hanley
David Polkinghorne
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
