The year 2021 has not been the greatest for the coach of Tonga's national men's rugby union team, Toutai Kefu.
He's presided over some humiliating defeats, not least at the hands of the All Blacks, with Covid-19 restrictions forcing him to pick greatly weakened squads to meet the team's fixture commitments.
Then to add to his woes, Kefu and his family were subjected to a violent home invasion at their house in Brisbane, and his wife is still recovering from her injuries.
However, 2022 is set to bring new hope now World Rugby have made it possible at last for players tied to the likes of New Zealand and Australia to switch their allegiance to their countries of heritage.
So by the time the Pacific Nations Cup comes around in July next year, the Tongan squad is set to be filled with a raft of stars - including English club superstar Charles Piutau, and one very controversial choice in former Wallaby, Israel Folau.
Toutai Kefu has told Pacific Beat the prospect of putting out a team made up of the very best Tongan players for the first time has lifted him and his family.
"This decision transforms our team straightaway, and it will hopefully make us really, really competitive at the World Cup."
"There's a host of players there, and hopefully, on the back of those players arriving, you know it may turn some (more) players to put on the red and white as well."
Coach Kefu is hoping that having a star name like Piutau on board will galvanise the team in the same way that NRL star Jason Taumalolo did when he opted to switch back to Tonga's national rugby league team from New Zealand, and almost led them to a World Cup final.
"We're going to get all these high profile players back to us...and they're going to draw a lot of attention to the team, it may switch allegiances....we're hoping that it does, because the team and the country really deserve a really competitive Ikale Tahi."
While the eligibility change is likely to be a landmark for rugby in Tonga, Toutai Kefu would like to see World Rugby go further with its reforms.
"The next thing on the agenda for us is the opportunity to spend more time together as a team. That's one thing that tier one nations have over us, they get time together, months and months of preparation .....before the English game just recently, we put a team together, they would have had only a handful of training matches."
Meanwhile on a personal level Toutai Kefu said the road ahead for the Tongan team has served as an inspiration to him, and his wife and family, as they continue their recovery after a violent home invasion at their house in Brisbane.
"This news has been fantastic, it's given the whole family a bit of a lift, leading into Christmas. So hopefully next year, we can get off on the right foot and have a really good July campaign and qualify for the World Cup, and then really start to plan for that World Cup in two years time."
Photo file Caption: Toutai Kefu