Don't be a stranger

Name
Rev Iesinga Vunipola and Fe'ao Vunipola

Place of residence

Thornbury

Country of origin

Tonga

Occupation

Methodist minster (Rev Iesinga), Rugby coach for the Bristol Saracens (Fe'ao)

Fe'ao Vunipola (fourth from right, seated) emigrated from Tonga to Britain in October 1998, to play for Pontypool Rugby Football club. Iesinga (third from right) and their four children arrived a year later, and the family were invited by the club secretary Arthur Crane (in the centre of the photo) to the Wesley Chapel in Pontnewynydd. They settled in and the chapel supported Iesinga when she decided to become a Methodist minister. Fe'ao now coaches the Bristol Saracens and Iesinga pastors Thornbury Methodist Church in Gloucestershire, but they also hold a monthly Tongan service in Pontnewynydd.

Fe'ao says: "Most or all of the Tongans who come over here come for rugby. Most of us came from the same village, same team and same club, so we know each other from back home. Two of my good friends first came over to Wales to play rugby and that opened the door for us. We followed through and our mates followed us.

In a way the children feel British, but to us, we are sort of half-half. We still cling to our old fashioned ways, but we take on board your culture too.

I feel at home here because people accept us as equal. We don't complain. But obviously for us home will always be Tonga due to factors like the climate, when you get older it is too cold and there is a tendency to think of home."

Iesinga says: "We felt part of the community immediately.  Rugby is the game of the two nations, so when you are linked with rugby, it is like a door to you and your family. I think that is the biggest reason that people take us into their hearts - because they love rugby.

We feel we are not fully Tongan in ourselves, but there are still values and principles in the Tongan way of life that we hold to. It is important for us because that is us Tongans, and that is the part that we would like to share with people in this community.

One of the features of our worship is how we do it. We feel liberated when we speak our own language and can be ourselves as Tongan. The time is not limited - we worship for at least two or three hours and we feel fulfilled with that and it is not like the British way, where it has to be an hour. For us Tongans we feel relaxed and filled with the spirit. It helps me as a minister because I go back inspired and uplifted."

Arthur Crane says: "I feel there is a natural affinity between the people of the Welsh valleys and the people of Tonga. We are on the same wavelength, partly because of the rugby, but also because of the way we value our families. 

It is a two way thing - we learn a lot from them and hopefully vice versa. Through sport Christianity has a major boost, in our church, certainly. You have swelled the congregation and I think people further afield have come here for worship from all parts of England and Wales. Long may this continue."