Just days after leading the Knights to within a point of an NRL title, the 28-year-old fullback has joined the Kiwi squad at Coogee Beach. The rule change, which came into effect on October 1, permits players with New Zealand heritage to represent the Kiwis, a shift that skipper James Fisher-Harris jokingly called the "dark side."
Ponga, who was born in Western Australia and raised in Queensland before moving to Palmerston North as a boy, said the decision was driven by his family and cultural connection. "It definitely feels right," he told reporters. "To go out there and represent where I'm from, my family, my culture and the country, it's pretty special." He added that the connection to his culture had only grown stronger. "As I got older, my sister probably influencing me, my family influencing me, but yeah, that connection to my culture has only gotten stronger. And it definitely feels right now."
Ponga and fellow Queensland Maroons player Dane Gagai are among the first to take advantage of the new rules, which came into effect just before the World Cup after being endorsed in February. Ponga described representing New Zealand as the "pinnacle" of rugby league, a goal he has held for a decade.