Weston-Super-Mare RFC recruited several players from across the area to strengthen their senior squad ahead of the start of the 2025/26 Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West league season last month.
But for their latest signing, they have turned their attention a little further afield and to the South Island of New Zealand and Dunedin, where they have attracted Tongan-born Nasili Ikahihifo, who can play across the back five of the pack.
"Nasili is a powerful and dynamic 22-year-old ball carrier with strong defensive capabilities and a consistently high work rate," said Weston-super-Mare's director of rugby, Mark Matthews.
"He is a tough, uncompromising, confident player and effective at the breakdown, with solid experience in lineouts. He is passionate about the game, eager to learn and always ready to put in the hard work where it counts.
"That could be seen in his recent performance at lock for Harbour Hawks in the 2025 Metro Division 1 club rugby final at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin when Kaikorai Demons survived a late surge to win 46-41 and claim the Championship Shield."
The Hawks' side for the game contained quite a few Otago and Highlanders players, including right wing Waisake Naholo, who has been capped for the All Blacks on 27 occasions and was a member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning team.
While at King's High School in Dunedin, he gained over 30 caps over three years for their 1stXV. After finishing school, he played a year of U21 rugby for Kaikorai, reaching the finals while primarily playing No.8.
He then spent two more seasons in Kaikorai's Premier Men's Division 1 team, continuing in the No. 8 role before signing with the Harbour Hawks, where he's played this season across multiple positions, including No.8, flanker, and second row.
Ikahihifo, who has a New Zealand Passport, stands at 6ft 2in tall and weighs in at just over 17st, has represented Otago U14, U16, U18, and U19 age-groups as well as Otago Sassenachs.
Nearer to home, Weston have signed 18-year-old Keanu Ballard, who has rejoined from Clevedon, where he made eight appearances last season in the Counties 2 Tribute Somerset league.
Ballard, who prefers to play at scrum half but can also play on the wing or the centre, made his Weston 1stXV is this season’s opener at Crediton and scored one of the Seasiders’ eight tries in the home victory over newly promoted Penzance & Newlyn last weekend.
Weston-super-Mare have won both of their league games to date, collecting a try-scoring bonus point in each game. This weekend (September 20) they travel to face a Cullompton side who have yet to win a game this season. Kick-off is at 3 pm.
Ikahihifo will make his Weston-super-Mare 1stXV debut in the Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West match away to Cullompton and will be joined by fly-half Kieran Hill, who will make his 1stXV senior start having joined in the summer from Clifton.
Cullompton make three changes to their starting line-up from the side that lost 27-16 at Teignmouth last weekend, with Brendan Cherry at scrum half, Sevie Hurrell at hooker and Josh Mammola in the second row.
Cullompton (home v Weston-super-Mare, 3 pm): Josh Luxon (capt); Sam Gibbs, Luke Shergold, Charlie Hague, Luke Coombes; Jared Allen, Brendan Cherry; Sam Cooke, Sevie Hurrell, Tom Parker, Adam Jarrett, Josh Mammola, George Woofenden, Jack Grandfield, Dev Welch. Reps: Marcus Pengelly, Jacob Brooks, Paddy Ellicott
Weston-super-Mare: Alex Howman; Keanu Ballard, Chris Young, Marcus Nel, Hayden Main, Kieran Hill, Ryan Watterston; Charlie Brabham (capt), Adam Fisher, Gary Carpenter, Sam Light, Ashley Russell, Nasili Ikahihifo, Jacob Cox, Jacob Simpson. Reps: George Talbot, Robson Bird, Matthew James.
