THE parents of Wellington rugby star Victor Vito are as proud as they come.
“I don’t deserve to be his dad, that’s how good he is. He has made me proud ever since he was a kid,” says father Joe Vito.
Last month, while the 23 year-old Victor was preparing for his debut All Black test against Ireland, his mother Luma’ava was in Samoa accepting for her son the title of Samoan high chief.
Victor is now a chief in their village of Fasito’o Uta, passed down to him from his grandfather Leaupepe Tele, and Vito says the title is “similar to receiving a knighthood”.
It’s one of Samoa’s highest honours, and his entire village came together for the celebration, where they discussed the history of the chief’s name.
And the village has inherited a wise chief – Vito has an arts degree in classics and wants to return to Victoria University to study law.
However, you won’t find him discussing the story of Oedipus in the All Black’s changing sheds.
“They would think I’m a dork, but I love the myths of Hercules and Achilles in ancient Greece; reading them is a bit of a hobby.”
The story of Oedipus, in which Oedipus fulfils a prophecy to kill his father and marry his mother, is one of his favourites.
Sigmund Freud used it to name the “Oedipus Complex” – which Freud said, “directs our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father”.
“I don’t reckon that’s true; my girlfriend doesn’t look anything like my mum,” Vito Laughs.
The Vito family live in Miramar, and Victor was a Scots College boy who delighted at watching the All Black perform the haka in the Cake Tin.
“We always went to aisle 14 because my mate had some season pass and we would tag along,” Vito laughs.
His All Blacks debut last month was the realisation of a dream, and he paid special attention to practicing the Kapa o Pango Haka, which he first performed against Wales.
“The Kapa o Pango led by Piri Weepu was amazing. I like the last part, which is about ‘do or die’ – it lays down the law. When you are a kid you learn the traditional one, but getting the new one’s meaning was a big thing.”
He is hoping to make a hometown debut against South Africa next week and hopes his winning touch at the Sevens will rub off at home..
“They are the best team in the world. They have a huge player base in South Africa, and their academies are going really well,” he says.
Vito was part of the New Zealand Sevens team that won the 2008 tournament in Wellington.
“It was the first time we had won it in a few years, and that was a real special time.”
Vito has managed to fit four years of study around playing top grade rugby and Sevens for New Zealand, and at some point wants to return to university to study law.
“Law is a different way of thinking that I really enjoy. It teaches you to be objective and shows everything is not as clear cut as it seems.”
That will take more years of study at Victoria University, but Vito is already chipping away at some papers.
“I can only do little bit at a time, but you need a plan B. You never know if you might break a leg,” Vito says.