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A former NRL star has urged younger players to 'think before you ink' after getting turned down for several jobs because of his eye-catching tattoos.
Reni Maitua said he got his large number of tattoos - which adorn his chest, arms, neck, and even a finger - during a time when he 'didn't really think about too much other than footy.'
But now that his sporting career is over and he's looking for employment, he is in the process of removing some of the inkings, he told the Daily Telegraph.
Reni Maitua has urged younger NRL players to 'think before you ink' after getting turned down for several jobs because of his eye-catching tattoos - including a 'Bra Boys' tat on his stomach
Reni Maitua said he got his large number of tattoos - which adorn his chest, arms, neck, and even a finger - during a time when he 'didn't really think about too much other than footy'.
'I can't get work in any sort of office,' Maitua said. 'And it is more than that. People in general make a presumption about what sort of person you are because of the tattoos.'
Maitua got his first tattoo in Samoa as a 14-year-old. His least-favourite one, a neck tattoo, he received after a spur-of-the moment decision following a surf session in Bali.
In his interview with the Daily Telegraph, the former Sharks, Eels and Origins player said he wanted to send a message to younger players:
'I just want people to think about the tattoos they are getting. Your rugby league career is so short. You think it will last forever, but it doesn't.'
NRL's welfare manager, Paul Heptonstall, said he agreed with Maitua:
'We would also urge every player to make sure they are certain before they make such a long-term decision,' Heptonstall said, while also adding that 'getting a tattoo is up to the player and their judgment.'
'I just want people to think about the tattoos they are getting. Your rugby league career is so short. You think it will last forever, but it doesn't,' Maitua said.
