Lomano Lemeki Children: Does Lomano Lemeki Have Kids?

Japanese rugby has seen its wingers shine brightly in the pool games of the World Cup. Kotaro Matsushima is riding high with four tries, sharing the top spot on the try-scoring chart, while Kenki Fukuoka has contributed two, including a pivotal try against Ireland. However, one winger still eagerly seeks his debut World Cup try – Lomano Lemeki.

Lemeki, who has started in all of Japan’s matches in the tournament, was instrumental in setting up Fukuoka for a try against Samoa, earning him the Player of the Match award. Despite his impressive performances, the 30-year-old from Auckland remains modest.

“I heard the announcement of the Player of the Match five minutes from time and was surprised myself,” Lemeki said. “I did have lots of ball carries, but I couldn’t get the try I promised my kids. Of course, I wanted to get one myself, but it’s all right whoever gets it.”

Lemeki, a former member of Japan’s sevens side at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, has his sights set on another Olympic appearance in Tokyo next summer. However, his immediate focus is on ending his try drought in the Rugby World Cup.

He hopes to achieve this against Scotland in Yokohama on Sunday. “An unfortunate injury to Kenki (against South Africa on September 6) gave me the chance, but the battle for the starting spot has been fierce,” he acknowledged. “Luckily, I started all three, but Kenki has scored two, both off the bench. The run of no-tries is still on, so I’ll do the best I can to stop it.”

Lemeki recognizes the formidable strengths of the Scottish side, pinpointing key players like scrum-half Greig Laidlaw, fly-half Finn Russell, and full-back Stuart Hogg as potential game-changers. He also believes that this match could be a defining moment in Japanese rugby history.

“In terms of where we need to be, we’re getting better but probably not where we can be in terms of the big countries; the All Blacks, Australia, the European teams,” he reflected. “We’re still on the rise, but time will tell this weekend; if we do progress through this weekend, that’ll help us get into the top eight. Normally, we’ve been winning a few good games and once we play top four teams, we’ve got brushed aside. So time will tell where we are at the moment.”

As Lomano Lemeki continues his journey with the Brave Blossoms, he carries the hope of his children and a nation eager to see him make his mark on the scoreboard at the Rugby World Cup.