When one door closes, another opens.
While this may be just an old adage to some, it has been the reality for Jacob Umaga.
His world was thrown into disarray as he became unemployed at the drop of a hat as Wasps went into administration in October 2022.
The loss of Wasps was a tragedy for many fans, players and coaching staff.
Wasps sadness
However, for Umaga, a small piece of his world was lost.
He said: “As a rugby player, I would wish no one else to go through that.
“What we had to go through, what Worcester and Irish had to go through.
“For me, I had a lot of love for the club because it was where I was from.
“At the time they’d moved to Cobb, I grew up in Kenilworth, which is 10 minutes down the road.
“I knew a lot of the people. I knew a lot of the staff, even at the Rico. I knew a lot of those people.
“I’d loved for so long; I’d just been taken away within, like, 17 days.”
A number of windows opened for Umaga with the one-cap England international offered the chance to play for a number of other Premiership clubs.
Yet, as he drew the Venetian blinds of one to see what lay through, he could never have imagined the experience he has had over the last three years on a personal and professional level while contracted to Benetton.
Umaga is one of five English-born players in the squad looking to secure Champions Cup qualification for the second consecutive season and, in doing so, offer them a chance to make history in the URC by claiming the title and becoming the first Italian club to achieve this feat.
The Italian club are currently in the play-off positions and know that if they win their final regular season match away to Munster, they will have achieved their European aim.
Yet his and the club’s focus is on adding to this historic season after they progressed through the Champions Cup pool stage for the first time.
He said: “The boys do have a tendency to turn it on when we need to in big games, like we showed last year.
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“We’ve spoken a lot about what happened last year with the Bulls, how close we came to getting into a semi-final, and then once you’re in the semi-final, anything can happen.”
While things are going well on the rugby pitch, Umaga would argue they are even better off it.
Since he had to bid farewell to his beloved Wasps and decided to move to the Lombardy region of Italy, he has welcomed his first son to the world and got engaged to his girlfriend.
He said: “I’m not sure if those things would have happened if I’d been in England at the time. So obviously with every bad thing that happens, something good can come from it.
“I absolutely love being a father. Like, if rugby were to stop tomorrow, I’d still be happy that I became a dad.
“Even like waking up in the mornings at 2am, 3am, or whatever it may be, I’m still so happy that I can be a dad.
“It’s kind of strange. I hear some people like moaning and groaning; I can’t see anything but happiness whenever I see my boy’s face.”
As Umaga embarks on his journey as a father, he is looking to emulate the environment created by his parents.
Like his father, former Samoan international Mike Umaga, Jacob is raising a family in a foreign country and will use his template.
Jacob said: “We grew up as a very close family, especially my parents and my siblings.
“Obviously, my dad came from New Zealand here, and he didn’t have other family here. So what we had as a family, we kept very tight.”
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His family have represented three different rugby nations; his father with Samoa, his uncle with New Zealand and Jacob represented England.
Yet, his son could add Italy to the list if he grows up to play the sport professionally, something Jacob can only dream about, despite joking he may direct him towards golf, ‘as that is where the money is’.
Umaga only has one year left on his contract at Benetton, but he would love to extend his Italian adventure.
He said: “My family would love to stay here. You know, the way that rugby is at the moment, some stability is what you need, and, you know, we enjoy being in Italy. We’re starting to learn the language. You know, we’ve got a little community here that we enjoy.”
The 26-year-old understands that he does not have full control over his future in Treviso.
However, Umaga has already planned for life after rugby, following in the footsteps of his uncle and former All Black and head coach of Moana Pasifika, Tana Umaga.
He said: “It’s something I’ve thought of kind of since I came into rugby. My dad always put an emphasis on post-rugby, and I’ve always thought I want to be a coach.
Long way to go
“I see the game in a certain way, and I’d love to be able to portray that through coaching. And I’ve learnt a lot from different coaches over the years.
“And even now, I’m 26. Hopefully, I won’t finish my career for another 10 years.
“I’ve already thought of, like, playbooks and plays and how I would attack if I was an attack coach, those types of things, because I’d love to.”
While Umaga can look back to a recent past that was heartbreaking, he is laying a pathway for a brighter future inside and outside the sport of rugby.
Yet, he will turn his attention to the present with Benetton and the final game of the season away to Munster as he aims to guide the club into the URC play-offs and next season’s Champions Cup.