Eloni Vunakece

Last updated

Eloni Vunakece
Eloni Vunaceke.jpg
Personal information
Born (1987-05-27) 27 May 1987 (age 37)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
Position Prop
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
2011–14 Toulouse Olympique 4180032
2016 Sydney Roosters 90000
Total5080032
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
2013–17 Fiji 1530012
Source: [1] [2]

Eloni Vunakece (born 27 May 1987) is a former Fiji international rugby league footballer who played as a prop for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He also played for Toulouse Olympique in the French Elite One Championship.

Contents

Background

Vunakece was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to a Fijian father, Meli, from Tavua and an Australian mother Julie Young from St Arnaud, Victoria. [3] [4] He played his junior rugby league for the Holy Cross Rhinos and Leichhardt Wanderers, before being signed by the Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers.

Vunakece is married with four children. [5]

Playing career

Early career

From 2006 to 2011, Vunakece played for the Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers, [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] while also having a stint with the Western Suburbs Magpies New South Wales Cup side in 2011. [12] In September 2011, he signed a 1-year contract with French team Toulouse Olympique in the Elite One Championship. [13] In 2012, he re-signed with Toulouse on a 1-year contract. [14] [15]

Vunakece playing for the Wyong Roos in 2013 Eloni Vunaceke 2013.jpg
Vunakece playing for the Wyong Roos in 2013

2013

In April, Vunakece played in two games for Toulouse in the 2013 Challenge Cup, scoring 2 tries. [16] At the conclusion of the 2012/2013 Elite One Championship season, he returned to Australia to play with the Wyong Roos in the New South Wales Cup. [17] In October and November, he played 5 games for Fiji in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, scoring 1 try. [18] [19]

2015

On 2 May, Vunakece played for Fiji against Papua New Guinea in the 2015 Melanesian Cup. [20] At the end of the 2015 season, he got the chance to join the Sydney Roosters first-grade squad for the 2016 pre-season. [21]

2016

In round 4 of the 2016 NRL season, Vunakece made his NRL debut for the Sydney Roosters against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. [22] [23] On 7 May, he again played for Fiji against Papua New Guinea in the 2016 Melanesian Cup, where he played at lock and scored a try. [24] In September, he was named at prop in the 2016 Intrust Super Premiership NSW Team of the Year. [25]

2017

On 28 August 2017, Vunakece was named at Prop in the 2017 Intrust Super Premiership NSW team of the year. [26]

Post rugby league and Reality TV

In September 2018, Vunakece announced his retirement from rugby league. He has been working for the council as a garbage collector and also doing some modelling. He also donated his brain, currently as a living participant in post-concussion cognitive research. Vunakece competed in the Australian Ninja Warrior (season 3). [27] He returned in seasons 4 and 5.

Vunakece will appear as a contestant on the sixth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia. [28]

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References

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  2. itsrugby
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