Vaega studied at Auckland rugby powerhouse Kelston Boys' High School – where he was a member of the First XV for four seasons.
Cardiff had shifted to Invercargill with an ambition of furthering his rugby and cracking Southland in the next few years.
He balanced his time in the academy with his studies at the Southern Institute of Technology, where he was in the first year of a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation.
Vaega, played his club rugby with Star, he was also approached by Otago, but said several factors swayed him to Southland.
He made his debut for Southland in 2011 and his strong performances saw him named in the Hurricanes squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season.