Kemara Hauiti-Parapara has gone the other way.
There is not much of the Otago halfback. He would be 82kg dripping wet and would not last five minutes up front these days.
But the 25-year-old Wellingtonian says he was a little chunkier once.
Perhaps he was pulling our leg, but he blames the trip to school.
The bus stop was right outside some shops and his go-to was chicken and chips.
"I started off playing rugby as a prop," he said.
"I’m serious. I worked my way out through all the forwards to halfback.
"It was hard because the bus stop was right outside the bakeries and you could pay for food with your bus card.
"So I’d be like, ‘Mum, I need some more bus money and I’d be spending it at the bakery every day’."
Hauiti-Parapara, who speaks te reo Maori fluently, grew up in Porirua and lived in Paraparaumu for about "eight or nine years".
He was an active young man, who was a talented softballer and also enjoyed a lot of success at waka ama.
"Softball was my No1 sport. I have a lot of friends playing and they call me back in every now and then for a game or two.
"But the seasons sort of overlapped and I struggled to stay fit in the softball season because you were just standing around in the field eating pies.
"I was a much better softballer player than a rugby player," he said.
Regardless, he made the decision to focus on rugby and it turned out to be a good decision.
He captained the Wellington College first XV in his last year at school and was part of the New Zealand team which won the under-20 World Championship in Georgia in 2017.
That squad included the likes of Will Jordan, Dalton Papalii and Caleb Clarke and Otago team-mates Jona Nareki and Thomas Umaga-Jensen.
Hauiti-Parapara played his one and only game for the Hurricanes against the British and Irish Lions that year as well, and he has played 43 games for Wellington in the NPC.
He got an opportunity in France with Oyonnax in the Rugby Pro D2 league. When he returned he was at a loose end until an opportunity opened up with Otago.
He made his debut for the province in the heartbreaking 23-22 loss to Counties-Manukau in Pukekohe last weekend.
Otago hosts Tasman today and Hauiti-Parapara has retained his spot in the run-on side.
The side is playing three games in eight days in what shapes as a key part of the season.
It will play Hawke’s Bay in Dunedin on Wednesday and travel south to play Southland in Invercargill on Sunday.
Otago has made three changes to its starting XV. Cameron Millar gets the nod at first five ahead of Josh Ioane. Henry Bell will wear the No2 jersey and Freedom Vahaakolo starts on the right wing.
Highlanders Max Hicks and Hugh Renton have been named in the Tasman pack, while Highlanders midfielder Fetuli Paea is on the bench, with the Crusaders-bound Noah Hotham named as halfback cover. He played for the Highlanders under-20 side this season.
NPC
Forsyth Barr Stadium, 2.05pm today
Otago: Sam Gilbert, Freedom Vahaakolo, Josh Timu, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Jona Nareki, Cameron Millar, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara, James Lentjes (captain), Sean Withy, Oliver Haig, Will Tucker, Fabian Holland, Jermaine Ainsley, Henry Bell, Abraham Pole. Reserves: Ricky Jackson, Josh Hohneck, Saula Ma’u, Josh Hill, Rupeni Tamani, James Arscott, Josh Ioane, Ray Nu’u.
Tasman: Taine Robinson, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Levi Aumua, Alex Nankivell, Macca Springer, Campell Parata, Louie Chapman, Hugh Renton, Sione Havili-Talitui, Max Hicks, Quinten Strange (captain), Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta, Luca Inch, Quentin MacDonald, Ryan Coxon. Reserves: Samiuela Moli, Matt Graham-Williams, Sam Matenga, Mahonri Ngakuru, Braden Stewart, Noah Hotham, Fetuli Paea, William Havili.
