Name (plus any rugby nickname(s)): Tisha Waki (TW, Trisha Walker, Wakitalkie, Sneaky Asian)
Hometown: Covina, CA
Position(s) played: Scrumhalf, Center, Wing
All Blues since: 2007
How did you find out about us (i.e. what/who got you to come to your first AB practice?) I played at Cal and we used to share our practice field with the All Blues. For my former classmates and I, it was the next logical thing to do if we wanted to keep playing rugby
When did you first start playing rugby? What got you into it? I started playing my senior year of college. I had a friend who had one of the rugby girls in her class and rugby intrigued her. One day she turned to me and said, “Tisha, you are the most athletic person I know. Will you play rugby with me?” I shrugged my shoulders, and said “Why not?” (I didn’t have any lab classes the following year and figured I had the time).
Do you have other passion(s) besides rugby? Can you tell us a bit more about that? Playing bingo. Started playing at the New Parkway when rugby is not in season. It reminds me of my grandma as she was pretty into it. Once went on a trip to Las Vegas with my family and basically all the gambling I did was at a bingo parlor with my grandma. Bingo parlors in Vegas are intense.
What do you like most about being on this team? Friendship with teammates, the history, the challenge presented to me by my teammates
Can you share a funny/exciting/memorable story from your time as an All Blue? Winning Ruckstar sevens in Dallas, and getting Irene to drive us to McDonalds afterwards.
What is your spirit animal? Will you tell us why? Polar bears because they are awesome.
Can you tell us a bit more about “Trisha Walker”? Who is she? When will we see her again? (Jk…but feel free to answer this too) Trisha Walker was the result of a mispronunciation of my name. USA Rugby likes players to submit phonetically pronunciations of our names. I was telling my teammates about this one time I was in the waiting room for the Doctor. A nurse came out and called “Trisha Walker” I sat and thought that it could be me, but it was different enough to not be me so I didn’t go in. A few minutes later another nurse came out and called “Tisha (some butchering of my last name)” so I walked into the door. As she was taking my weight, she kindly asked why I didn’t respond when they had called me earlier. I replied, ” No, you called Trisha Walker. They managed to add an “r” to both my names.” She agreed with me. My teammates were jokingly calling me Trisha Walker throughout the entire weekend. After the tournament, in our celebratory (drunken) state JT suggested that I change my facebook name and I agreed and did it. Once you change your name in facebook, you’re not allowed to change it again for 90 days, so it kinda had to stick and had to explain to a number of people the story behind Trisha Walker and hence her infamy grew. She makes brief appearance here and there, but the next definite appearance will probably be if/when I get converted to full time employee at my current job. [I’m] currently working as a contractor as an analytical chemist working on a cure for Hepatitis C.