In the latest of our Back To My Roots pieces, we look back at how Bureta Faraimo found his way into Rugby League…
Hull FC’s star-studded roster includes players from all walks of life, and Bureta Faraimo is no different with his interesting Rugby League background.
The 29-year old didn’t come to the forefront of top level Rugby League until 2014, when he made his debut for NRL side Parramatta Eels.
Similar to the likes of fellow Hull FC team-mate Jamie Shaul, a former brick-layer, Faraimo spent his adolescence years earning money for his family.
The USA international winger is originally from Wellington, New Zealand, where he was born and raised as a young boy.
Not long after entering adulthood, Faraimo moved to the Queensland city of Mackay in Australia to pursue a career in the sport.
It was in Mackay that Faraimo worked as a mining trader, and the winger told hullfc.com the importance of prioritising his work for financial purposes.
“I was playing for Mackay Cutters when I moved over to Australia in 2011, but it was nothing too serious,” he said.
“I was working in the mines at the same time and that was really tough labour because it was so hot. That’s one of the major differences between Australia and over here – the temperature is hard to get used to because it’s so cold most of the time.”
Making the switch from New Zealand to Australia at such a young age was an extremely bold move for Faraimo.
His rapid rise through the Rugby League ranks is admirable to say the least, having not involved himself in the sport until the age of 13. But Faraimo admits that he never took his participation in the sport too seriously, which held him back from becoming involved in top level action at an earlier stage.
“My first professional game was for the USA in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, but I could have probably started out much earlier if I didn’t wait until 13 to start playing rugby,” he explained.
“I first started playing for a team called St George in Wellington, but that was typically park footy, and I was a step below everyone else because they have been playing for years.
“As I remember, a lot of people were complimenting me and were trying to convince me to pursue a career in it, which is why I eventually moved to Mackay. I was still playing low level rugby at the time, so it was important for me to work hard in the mines so I could still provide for myself.”
Faraimo’s powerful presence on the right edge saw him claim an unprecedented 29 tries in just half a season for Mackay Cutters, which warranted him a spot in Brian McDermott’s USA squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
The outside back incredibly qualifies for the Tomahawks squad, thanks to his father being one of just 17 people born on Swains Island, an island administrated by the United States as part of American Samoa.
And Faraimo believes his progression into the Parramatta Eels squad was influenced majorly by his international representation.
“Playing for the USA was a massive opportunity for me because it opened doors that I’m still yet to walk through,” he said.
“I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to join Parramatta in 2014 which probably gave me the chance to come over here and join Hull FC.”
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