British and Irish Lions player Bundee Aki has shared a surprising story about the birth of his fifth child while he was away playing in Australia. Aki, who was participating in his second Lions tour in Australia, recounted how his wife unexpectedly gave birth to their newest addition in the car on the way to the hospital. This unusual delivery occurred just before the First Test in Australia a few weeks ago.
Aki and his wife had their first child in a hospital, followed by the next three births at home. However, their latest child, named Aine, was born in a car in New Zealand as Aki’s wife had traveled there to visit family while he was with the Lions squad.
Despite being away from his family for eight weeks due to the tour, Aki had not yet met his newborn child, a fact he had kept quiet about until the final weeks of the tour. He expressed his admiration for his wife and shared the remarkable birth story during an interview with the BBC.
Recalling the event, Aki explained that his wife called him while he was at the team hotel preparing for a match, informing him about her contractions. Shortly after, she sent a photo indicating that her water had broken, and then video-called him to reveal that she had given birth in the car on the way to the hospital. Both mother and baby were reported to be healthy and strong.
Although Aki did not start in the First Test, he came on as a substitute in the 57th minute as the Lions secured a 27-19 victory. Aki mentioned that he had a feeling of good luck on the match day after learning about the birth of his child.
Reflecting on the coincidence that all his children’s names start with the letter ‘A’, Aki mentioned the names of his other children – Armani, Adrianna, Andronicus, and Ailbhe, adding the newest addition, Aine, to the list.
In the subsequent match against Australia, Aki played in the centers alongside Huw Jones as the Lions narrowly missed out on a clean sweep. Despite the loss, the Wallabies put up a strong performance in Sydney, defeating the Lions and salvaging some pride in the series.