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| Date of birth | 2 August 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Ha'ateiho, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Tamaki College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Atieli Pakalani (born 2 August 1989) [1] is a Tongan rugby union player. [2] He is nicknamed the 'Tongan Hitman', [3] and his usual position is on the wing. Pakalani played Super Rugby for the NSW Waratahs in 2011. [2] In 2017 Pakalani joined Leicester Tigers. [4]
Pakalani attended secondary school at Tamaki College in New Zealand. [5] He joined ITM Cup team Auckland in 2009 on a two-year deal. He also captained the Tongan Under 20 team at the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship. [6]
In 2014 Pakalani represented Australia 7s at the time committing him to represent Australia only. In 2016 he was successful in an application to use a loophole in World Rugby's eligibility laws to allow him to represent Tonga [7] and on 1 July 2017 he made his international debut for Tonga in a 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifier against Samoa. [8]
Pakalani competed for Tonga at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town. [9]
The Tonga national rugby union team represents the Tonga Rugby Union in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ʻIkale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a traditional challenge – the Sipi Tau. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. The Ikale Tahi achieved a historic 19–14 victory over France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but having lost to New Zealand and Canada, were unable to achieve what would have been their first-ever presence at the quarter-finals.
The Tonga national rugby league team represents Tonga in rugby league football. They are currently the fifth ranked team in the world. The team was formed to compete in the 1986 Pacific Cup, and have competed at six Rugby League World Cups, starting in 1995 and continuing consecutively until the most recent tournament. Their best result was at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, where they were semi-finalists.
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Drew Alan Mitchell is a former Australian rugby union professional player. He played on the wing or as fullback. Up to the 2006 season he played for the Queensland Reds. He played for the Western Force for the 2007–09 Super 14 seasons. From 2010 to 2013 he played for the New South Wales Waratahs. Since 2013 he has played for RC Toulon. He made his debut for Australia in 2005 and is Australia's highest try scorer in World Cup history.
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Samuela H. S. "Semi" Taupeaafe (born in Nuku'alofa, on 29 July 1972）is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as wing and centre.