ajay78
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The Catholic Weekly : Sunday 28 August 2011ContentsFront CoverThe Catholic Weekly, August 28, 2011 Page 11 Connections By Mark Rix LATER this year, Samisoni Langi -- Soni to his family and friends -- will jump on a plane and fly to New Zealand to represent his country as a member of the Australian Schoolboys rugby league team. Only 17 are chosen from the thousands of schoolboy footballers who compete for this opportunity. You have to be a good footballer to get a seat on this plane. Soni is a good footballer. Very good, in fact. His two-try effort saw him voted 'player of the final' in the Combined Catholic Colleges grand final in which the underdog NSW side did what the NSW State-of-Origin team could not and defeated the strongly fancied Queenslanders. He is a strong, skillful, hard-running utility player already contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of 2012 and a regular in the Bulldogs Toyota Cup side (the feeder competition for the NRL). He has a strong pedigree in the sport (his cousin Junior Langi played for a number of NRL clubs, as well as in England). Serious rugby league judges have their eye on this rising star. But it is something much more than just being an elite footballer that makes Soni Langi special. One of 10 children, Soni is a leader. He has a presence. He is immensely proud of being the first student of Tongan heritage to be elected to a senior leadership position at his school (he is vice-captain of Trinity Catholic College, Auburn/Regent's Park, a co-educational school of more than 1300 students in Sydney's inner west). "For me, [being elected vice-captain of the school] was a real honour," he says. "I know that my family is very proud of me. I am the first Islander kid ever to be elected either captain or vice-captain of Trinity. "I also know my Tongan community is very happy for me." How does he know that? "They've kind of told me," he says shyly. "When I sing in the choir at church on Sundays, they sometimes come up and tell me that they are proud of me and say that they are praying for me." Seventeen-year-old rugby league superstars who are elected leaders in their school and who sing in the church choir every weekend are not that common. Actually, Soni sings in two choirs -- the Tongan 'parents' choir and the Tongan 'children's' choir. He has been singing in the choir ever since he can remember. "I just love it. Both my mum and dad sing in the choir and so do eight of my brothers and sisters. The one who doesn't can't because he lives in Newcastle." In a sport where superstars don't always make the headlines for the right reasons, Soni Langi is a stand-out. Brendan Boidin, his school football coach, sees him as a "cut above". "Soni is an inspirational kid," he says. "He does things without any fuss. When he goes out on the field, he sees himself as just one of the team -- but it is so obvious that the rest of the team lift in his presence. When he goes forward, they all go forward." Soni Langi is definitely going forward. He is an impressive young man. Shy, reflective, polite, and articulate, his answers are honest and to-the-point, but it is immediately clear that he does not find it easy to speak about himself or his achievements. What does he think his achievements mean to other young Tongan Australians? "I think they are proud of me ... I hope they are," he says. "When I am at choir, the little kids just want to come up and talk to me, and play touch footy with me and hang around me. "They're only young, most of them, but that's OK -- I just like to help them." Does he enjoy being seen as a leader? "Yes, I do," Soni says. "It is nice to be respected and to help others and be able give my opinion and be listened to. I get a chance to help people -- I think that's a good thing." Steve Turley, Soni's year co-coordinator at Trinity, says he has a maturity beyond his years. "Soni was elected a leader in Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11. It is worth remembering that he was elected by all the students, not just the Tongan community. "I know that all the students at Trinity look up to him and admire him. "He is a gentleman in the true sense of the word." Soni has lived all of his life in Auburn. Being part of a large family has had some challenges but he speaks about them with warmth and affection. They are obviously very close. While a professional football career is clearly on the horizon, Soni has also set his sights on gaining a place at university to study Health Science or Sports Science, with an aim to one day becoming a physiothe******. Maybe the inspiration for this career choice came from the six-month rehabilitation he underwent after he was diagnosed with stress fractures in his back in 2010. He insists that he has made a good recovery but concedes that his back still gives him trouble from time-to-time. "It's OK, though," he says. I take a few photos before saying my goodbyes. In the car on the way back to the office, I resolve to get along to Mass at St John's, Auburn, one Sunday soon to hear the Tongan choir in full voice. I understand that their lead tenor is a great singer... 'Inspirational kid' is a leader on and off the field A conversation with Soni Langi, a teenage rugby league star, parish church chorister and school vice-captain 'A REAL HONOUR': Soni regards it as 'a real honour' to be the first student of Tongan heritage elected to a senior leadership role at Trinity College
