Taniela Tupou. Photo / Sarah Ivey
The New Zealand rugby schoolboy sensation dubbed the Tongan Thor is about to sign a contract with the Queensland Reds, according to Australian media reports.
The deal for Sacred Hart student Taniela Tupou - an 18-year-old 135kg prop - is understood to be in its final stages with the Reds,
reports the Daily Telegraph.
Tupou, who was raised in Tonga and grew up idolising the Wallabies, revealed earlier this month he decided against signing a loyalty agreement with the New Zealand Rugby Union so he could be eligible for the NZ Schoolboys side.
"If I signed it, I wouldn't be able to go to Australia," he told the Herald at the time.
He became an internet sensation when exploits of him terrorising other secondary school teams with his barnstorming runs became popular on YouTube. His on-field efforts attracted the interest of clubs in the UK, France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
