SAS Australia’s Nick Cummins’ family mean the world to him – but there’s a heartbreaking backstory

In front of the cameras, Nick Cummins is resilient, boisterous and the life of the party.

Cheeky, and just the right amount of Ocker Aussie lad, Nick is the kind of guy people gravitate towards.

But behind The Honey Badger’s wonderful one-liners and naughty hijinks lies a tragic story of adversity – and perhaps the ultimate inspiration as to why he decided to do The Bachelor, and later the harrowing challenges of SAS Australia.

Despite his incredible success as a rugby union player, Nick Cummins has always put his family first. An admirable trait he says is the result of being raised by single father Mark Cummins in Logan, Brisbane.

Nick began his fruitful rugby career in 2007, when he landed a spot on the Australian Sevens squad before moving to Perth to play for the Western Force rugby union team.

He also represented the Wallabies several times but in 2014, he gave up his successful rugby career in Australia and signed a lucrative contract to play for the Coca-Cola Sparks in the Japanese top league – a move he says he made to make money to help support his family, including his two younger siblings, Elizabeth and Joe, who both suffer cystic fibrosis.

Nick is extremely close to his family and made the ultimate sacrifice for his father, who was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2013, and his brother and sister by moving to Japan to play for the Coca-Cola Sparks right as his career with the Wallabies was taking off.

“He’s no mercenary. He treasures playing for the Wallabies and all he is giving up is because of his family,” Nick’s proud father Mark Cummins told the Courier Mail of his son in 2014 when he turned down the opportunity to continue playing for the Wallabies.

“He told me that in his heart he couldn’t enjoy himself when he could be doing more for the kids.”

“He could have stayed and he would have played a few Tests and he would have enjoyed it and he loves playing for Australia, but he just felt the family came first. He feels he was put on this Earth for a bigger purpose,” Mark revealed in an interview with The Australian.

“Money and Nick are not synonymous. If Nick was just going for cash, he would tell you I’m going for cash. Obviously, the money he can make over there in the shorter time, the better he feels he can assist the kids.”

“Nick is a really good bloke. He is not your typical fella. He thinks deeply about things. He loves his family and he’ll do whatever he can for them,” his proud dad added.

WATCH BELOW: Nick Cummins and his father share a hug. Post continues…

Opening up about his sick siblings and dad, Nick – who is one of eight kids – told Sunday Night he didn’t hesitate to make the ultimate career sacrifice to help them.

“Every day is a struggle, every breath is a struggle… constant medication, constant coughing, constant vomiting, just struggling just to keep afloat and if you want to talk about courage yeah, that’s two examples of it there. I wanted to get a safety net in an account just ready for troubling times,” he told the show in 2016.

Despite the family’s heartache, their health hardships have brought them closer together.

“I remember the first time I gave Dad like a proper hug you know and that was big. It’s sad that it takes something like this to happen but we wait so long until it’s too late and then and they can be gone you know,” Nick told Sunday Night.

READ NEXT: What happened to Nick Cummins’ mother? Find out the untold story

WATCH: Nick Cummins tells “Why family is number one!” Post continues…

“Family’s number one, just that’s flat out it and I think a lot of people when they’re put in a certain position will come to that conclusion and you’ll just do whatever.”

Nick’s bond with his father is particularly special.

“I can tell you it takes it takes a big set of cags to stand in front, like regardless of your environment who’s watching around, and just flat out look at them and go, bang ‘I love you mate you’ve been here for me in all these times you know.’ Give them a big hug, he’s your old man, why is it so hard?”

Yep, this man has a pure heart of gold.

As Nick features in Aussie reality show SAS Australia it’s clear his family are top of mind.

Nick has been put through his paces as he is subjected to the vicious tasks usually put to real life SAS trainees.

But if not for himself, he is tackling the challenges for his less-abled siblings – it’s no wonder he was nicknamed the Honey Badger for his resilience and strength.