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Cape Town - Zak Feaunati, the man who played Jonah Lomu in the Hollywood blockbuster Invictus, will line up for the International Legends at this weekend's Castle Cape Town Tens tournament.
Feaunati - a former Samoan international and Bath Rugby stalwart - played for the Legends in last year's inaugural Tens tournament at Hamilton's and he cannot wait to return to the Mother City later this week for "Round Two".
"The day I left after last year's Tens I told Fleckie I would be back again in 2010," Feaunati told capetowntens.com.
"(This year) Fleckie asked me to help recruit a few extra guys, but he didn't really need my help - it was an easy sell!"
Looking ahead to the 2010 event, which promises to trump last year's outstanding inaugural tournament, Zak added: "The fun aspect of the Tens aside, I am really looking forward to playing in this incredible Legends team.
"Last year we had a few local university boys kicking about in our team, but this year's it's basically a team full of ex-international rugby players - it's going to be massive!"
Zak, of course, has spent a lot of time in South Africa over the past few months; having been based in Cape Town initially and also spending time up country as part of the Invictus cast.
He said: "It's funny, you know, I heard a bit about the movie at last year's Tens - but nobody spoke to me at all about possibly being involved.
"I know some of the guys were 'head-hunted' at Hamilton's, but they made contact with me only once I had returned to England. It came out of the blue, as I wasn't expecting it at all, but the whole experience was unbelievable and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."
Invictus hit our screens (in South Africa) in mid-December, but the movie has just launched in the United Kingdom and the premiere took place at London's Leicester Square on Sunday night.
"One minute you're working your normal day job and the next you're standing on a red carpet in London," laughed Zak.
"Aside from having to dodge Leon Lloyd - who somehow managed to get a ticket to the premiere! - it was a great evening; it's incredible how much interest there is in the movie.
"The movie officially starts showing in the UK this Friday, but I obviously won't be there for the first screenings as I will be in Cape Town," he added.
"The big thing for me, however, was how many people at the Invictus premiere were talking about the Cape Town Tens! I certainly kept telling everybody I could about the Tens at the premiere, so don't be surprised to find a bunch of foreigners at Hamilton's trying to find out more about the tournament.
"I'm just not sure what Lloydy would've been saying - I think he's still a bit bitter about not being cast in Invictus, so he might've told everyone to come and watch him play!"
Feaunati and the rest of the International Legends will arrive in Cape Town later this week and will all be at Friday's opening party at Hamilton's, followed - of course - by all the weekend's action at Hamilton's and the Cape Town Stadium. Don't you miss it...
Feaunati - a former Samoan international and Bath Rugby stalwart - played for the Legends in last year's inaugural Tens tournament at Hamilton's and he cannot wait to return to the Mother City later this week for "Round Two".
"The day I left after last year's Tens I told Fleckie I would be back again in 2010," Feaunati told capetowntens.com.
"(This year) Fleckie asked me to help recruit a few extra guys, but he didn't really need my help - it was an easy sell!"
Looking ahead to the 2010 event, which promises to trump last year's outstanding inaugural tournament, Zak added: "The fun aspect of the Tens aside, I am really looking forward to playing in this incredible Legends team.
"Last year we had a few local university boys kicking about in our team, but this year's it's basically a team full of ex-international rugby players - it's going to be massive!"
Zak, of course, has spent a lot of time in South Africa over the past few months; having been based in Cape Town initially and also spending time up country as part of the Invictus cast.
He said: "It's funny, you know, I heard a bit about the movie at last year's Tens - but nobody spoke to me at all about possibly being involved.
"I know some of the guys were 'head-hunted' at Hamilton's, but they made contact with me only once I had returned to England. It came out of the blue, as I wasn't expecting it at all, but the whole experience was unbelievable and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."
Invictus hit our screens (in South Africa) in mid-December, but the movie has just launched in the United Kingdom and the premiere took place at London's Leicester Square on Sunday night.
"One minute you're working your normal day job and the next you're standing on a red carpet in London," laughed Zak.
"Aside from having to dodge Leon Lloyd - who somehow managed to get a ticket to the premiere! - it was a great evening; it's incredible how much interest there is in the movie.
"The movie officially starts showing in the UK this Friday, but I obviously won't be there for the first screenings as I will be in Cape Town," he added.
"The big thing for me, however, was how many people at the Invictus premiere were talking about the Cape Town Tens! I certainly kept telling everybody I could about the Tens at the premiere, so don't be surprised to find a bunch of foreigners at Hamilton's trying to find out more about the tournament.
"I'm just not sure what Lloydy would've been saying - I think he's still a bit bitter about not being cast in Invictus, so he might've told everyone to come and watch him play!"
Feaunati and the rest of the International Legends will arrive in Cape Town later this week and will all be at Friday's opening party at Hamilton's, followed - of course - by all the weekend's action at Hamilton's and the Cape Town Stadium. Don't you miss it...
