Tshiunza's joy at making Chiefs debut
By Mark Stevens
23/9/21
Exeter Chiefs newcomer Christ Tshiunza says he’s happy to take things ‘step by step’ in terms of his development with the Gallagher Premiership club.
In what is his first full season with the Chiefs, the Welsh Under-20s starlet has wasted little time showing his worth, producing a noticeable display in the club’s pre-season friendly with Munster, before following it up last weekend when he came off the bench against Leicester Tigers for his first-team debut.
It’s been a swift introduction to senior life for Tshiunza, who is combining rugby life at Sandy Park with that of a Sports Science degree at the University of Exeter, but he’s clearly loving every minute of it.
“It was an unbelievable day,” he said. “Coming on for my Premiership debut at a place like Leicester, where the crowd was so big and the atmosphere like it was, it was just amazing. Obviously, the only disappointment was the result, but we’ll look to put that right this weekend.”
Born into what he describes as a ‘French Christian family’, he lived in the Congo until he was six, with the said family settling in England initially and moving to Wales in 2010.
It didn’t take long for his rugby ability to set him apart.
Towering over his team-mates with various Rhiwbina age-grade and Cardiff Schools sides, Tshiunza quickly became a player to watch, packing down at lock and using his commanding height to dominate line-outs.
The 6ft 6in forward played for Wales U18s at the age of 17 and hit the headlines in 2019 when he committed to a four-year deal with the Chiefs.
As he admits, though, rugby wasn’t a first love and it took a fair bit of persuading from a handful of school mates, all of whom were at Welford Road last weekend, to get him to switch his attentions to the oval ball.
Following the final whistle, Tshiunza trooped across the pitch to find his pals, sharing pictures and words following his introduction onto the big stage.
“I’ve known all of them since Year 7, but it wasn’t until probably Year 8, Year 9 that I got into rugby and decided to go along to a few training sessions. That’s where it all kicked off, but we’ve been mates ever since.
“I got them tickets for the game, so to have them there was special – not just for me – but for all of us. We’ve experienced so much together, so it was a big day.”
Now, Tshiunza aims to use last week’s debut as the stepping stone for a bright future with the Chiefs, even if he remains as humble as ever about his plans.
“I’m just going to take it step by step,” he added. “I’m just so grateful to the club and the opportunity they’ve given me. Of course, I’d loved to have more experiences, but I also know we have a lot of quality players here as well. If I get the chance again, then I’ll give everything like I did at the weekend.”
Tshiunza has also paid tribute to the support he has received from his Chiefs team-mates, all of whom have welcomed him into the club with open arms.
“At first it was a bit daunting, but once you’ve been here a while you realise they are just regular people the same as me. For me, it’s great to be part of the whole mix, sharing jokes, training, playing, whatever….
“The squad is very together and we’re all like brothers to one another, so I’m really enjoying the whole experience and, hopefully, I get more chances to show what I can do.”