The All Blacks might only be in South Africa for two weeks, but Tamaiti Williams admits that being away from his young family is a challenge. In an exclusive interview with RNZ, the prop opened up about being a new father, having solid whanau support and the help he gets from other dads in the team.
"Yeah, it's hard being away. It is very hard. In my case, I have a premature baby that needs a lot of attention and medical love," said Williams at the team's hotel in Cape Town. He and wife Alice welcomed daughter Kaea in April; however she was born at 27 weeks weighing only 1.4 pounds.
Williams played his 10th test on Saturday, against the Springboks at Ellis Park and will be a certainty for the second test this weekend at DHL Stadium. From there they travel home, then he will play in tests in Sydney and Wellington before embarking on a six week end of year tour. Williams stressed that making the most of being at home, family support and Alice's resilience was crucial.
"My wife, she's a soldier. You know, we have a plan. So, when I'm home, I try to do as much as I can to help her out and when I'm away luckily, we both have good families around us. Her mum and her siblings and her dad around when I'm over here. And then I think it's a good process just to plan, because parenting slapped me in the face real hard."
Another form of mutual support is from within the All Blacks themselves. Many of the team are fathers, which provides Williams with much-needed guidance and reassurance.
Tamaiti Williams of the All Blacks. Photo: Nic Bothma/ActionPress
"We might just be sitting in one of the rooms having a cup of tea and especially the older boys (whose) kids are getting a bit older now. So you get advice from them. They just kind of give you their feedback and I might just ask them or what do you do? It's just those little things, those little conversations that, that mean a lot."
Williams is a strong advocate for fathers connecting and seeking advice from one another, with a sports team providing the perfect environment for doing that.
"I think it's massive. The journey I've been on in the last couple months, from being injured to becoming a dad, (it helps) talking to people that have been through it before or you and just a bit older. I'm young to have a baby, and I'm young in this career still, so just learning off the older boys really helps."
Parenting hasn't been the only challenge for Williams this season, with an injury sustained in the first game of Super Rugby Pacific side-lining him for most of the Crusaders' campaign. Kaea's birth also meant he was granted leave for a round one week after making his comeback.
"It was really tough because, for the people that don't know, I was actually based in Dunedin for three months," Williams revealed.
"I wasn't with the boys, I wasn't training with the team, I wasn't learning with the team. So for me, I felt really isolated."
Tamaiti Williams celebrates during the All Blacks v Argentina. Photo: Blake Armstrong/ActionPress
It was tough for his Crusaders teammates who took the field too, as the powerhouse franchise slumped to its worst ever finish in a Super Rugby season since 1996. Williams put it down to "a lot of change".
"That was hard, but credit to them because they just kept sticking together and blocked out all the outside noise," said Williams.
While he's eagerly awaiting his return to the red and black jersey next year, Williams' focus is on the Springboks after an Ellis Park atmosphere that he described as the most intense "by far" in his test career.
"It was just so cool to be a part of. You know, you hear the stories and all of that, but to be able to experience it was special."
The All Blacks received a different kind of welcome in Cape Town when they were greeted by around 100 local fans at the airport.
"Just the love for the game and the love for the All Blacks in Cape Town is crazy," said Williams.
"The people outside our hotel and which I give them as much time as we can…we will try our best to take photos and just show them some love."
The hype is building around South Africa for both All Black and Springbok fans alike for a rumoured full tour in 2026 to be confirmed this week. It will be a massive event, given how many New Zealanders will likely make the journey to a country that welcomes rugby fans with open arms.
"I've been really enjoying this trip," said Williams of his South African experience so far.
"Seeing other people's backgrounds, it's really eye opening how much they love the game of rugby over here. And they're so proud of their nation, they're just so proud of the Springboks here."
But while there's been plenty to see and do, Williams says that his recent life changes have meant his priorities "have changed a bit".
"I have a wife now and a baby girl. But I always think if I surround myself and likeminded people and mentors, it'll come out pretty good. We hold our heads high because, you know, there was definitely some dark days. You think you might not get past, but we always have each other's back and we just keep going."