And he was left cursing as schedules meant he could not hook up with famous cousin Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, even though he was just down the road.
The superstar was filming Fast and Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw at Eggborough in North Yorkshire, just 40 miles from Hull.
However there was no family reunion and if there was, it is likely Vaivai would have sought advice on what footwear to don in the cold.
America international Vaivai made a big impact as Rovers stayed up after being promoted back to the top flight.
However, his American Samoan roots and Australian upbringing mean he has not taken to winter in East Yorkshire as he goes through his first full pre-season in six years.
Vaivai said: “I spoke with Dwayne’s mum a few times but his schedule, which was all day, meant I didn’t have chance to catch up with him – it was crazy.
“Life is very different in Hull than it was in Australia – for a start it’s freezing here. I was contemplating buying ice skating boots so I could skate to work!
“But my kids and family are enjoying it over here and that’s the most important thing – they want to see snow, though. I came over in April, after the Beast From The East hit, so I haven’t seen it either.
“This has been my first full pre-season in six years. I was playing bush rugby league, so I had to work as well and we’d only train once a week and in pre-season I’d do as much as I could fit in.
“So my body definitely feels better this time around and the plan is definitely to step up next year as a team.
“But I’d rather under-promise and over-deliver than over-promise and under-deliver.”
Vaivai missed America's World Cup qualifiers as it was felt he would be better served doing pre-season at Hull KR.
But he already has his eyes on helping his country through against Cook Islands and a team from the Middle East/Africa section after they lost out to Jamaica for a place in the 2021 tournament in England.
The 28-year-old added: “I’d like to help America to the World Cup as it’s something of a platform for a lot of players coming through, especially ones in America.
“So it would be good to give them the chance to showcase their talents and see if they can get a move to a big club.”
Source: Read Full Article