Representing Tonga in 2019 was a huge moment in the life of Kotoni Staggs and it's why he's going to do all he can to help the Pacific island nation now.
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The Tongan government has described the situation in the country as an "unprecedented disaster" after a volcanic eruption sparked a tsunami on Saturday.
There's been widespread damage and information from the island remains minimal due to almost all methods of communication being wiped out.
Wellington Cowboys junior Staggs is one of a number of Brisbane Broncos players with a connection to Tonga.
The 23-year-old's father, who resides in the USA, is Tongan and Staggs had the chance to represent his culture in 2019 when he played for Tonga against Australia.
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Staggs and teammates Tesi Niu and Delouise Hoeter pledged to help Tonga this week.
"My first jersey and the pair of boots that I wear in the round one game will get auctioned off to raise some money for the Tongan community and my family over there - same as the other two boys behind me," Staggs told the media.
Staggs only met his father after representing Tonga in 2019 and he described that moment like finding "a missing puzzle piece".
"Our families over there - all their phones are down at the moment," Staggs said.
"My dad is in America, trying to get in contact over there to let us know, but right now we're just sitting tight. Hopefully they can use their phones soon, so we can find out if they're alright."
The other Broncs players are also eagerly awaiting information.
Hoeter's mother's family home, built by his grandparents, has been destroyed while Niu's family is also waiting on an update.
"Being able to talk to Kotoni and Tesi, these boys, it's really helpful for me personally," Hoeter said.
"And just brainstorming and talking about what we can do, it calms us down and makes us a bit more clear minded about what we could do."
The death toll from the disaster in Tonga stood at three on Thursday.
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