Fa'atiga Lemalu

Last updated

Fa'atiga Lemalu
Faatiga Lemalu Manu Samoa.jpg
Full nameFaatiga Lemalu
Date of birth (1989-04-17) 17 April 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
Height1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight115 kg (18 st 2 lb; 254 lb)
SchoolDe La Salle College, NZ
Occupation(s)Rugby Union Player
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Loose forward
Current team Manawatu Turbos
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011–2012 Papatoetoe RFC 50 (55)
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2013–2018 Munakata Sanix Blues 32 (25)
2016 Sunwolves 9 (5)
2018 Auckland 11 (10)
2018–2019 Yorkshire Carnegie 7 (5)
2019–2021 Cornish Pirates 19 (5)
2021 Manawatu Turbos 0 (0)
Correct as of 1 August 2021
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2007 New Zealand Schools 4 (10)
2012–present Samoa 25 (15)
Correct as of 1 August 2021

Fa'atiga Lemalu (born 17 April 1989) is a New Zealand-born, Samoan international rugby union footballer who plays as a lock. [1]

Lemalu played his professional rugby for the Munakata Sanix Blues in Fukuoka, Japan after joining them in 2013. [2] He was also named in the new Japanese Sunwolves squad which made their first Super Rugby appearance for the 2016 season. [3]

In 2017, Lemalu joined UK powerhouse club Saracens towards the later stage of the season as an injury cover during their 2016-17 Premiership Rugby campaign. [4]

Lemalu would go on to play for Auckland Rugby, later becoming the champions of the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup in New Zealand since 2007. [5]

Lemalu is a full international for Samoa having made his debut in a match against Tonga in 2012, missing the 2015 Rugby World Cup [6] due to injury.

Yorkshire Carnegie strengthened their squad in November 2018 with the capture of Samoan international second row for the remainder of the 2018-2019 Greene King IPA Championship season. [7]

At the beginning of the 2019 IPA Green King Championship, Cornish Pirates [8] secured Lemalu on a two year deal which saw him make 19 appearances before heading back to New Zealand signing with Manawatu Turbos for the upcoming Bunnings NPC 2021 season.

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References

  1. "Faatiga Lemalu". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  2. "Faatiga Lemalu itsrugby Player Statistics". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  3. "Sunwolves reveal squad, Hammett to coach". Sanzar Rugby. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  4. "Saracens sign Samoa lock Fa'atiga Lemalu". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  5. "Auckland back on top in the Mitre 10 Cup after extra-time thriller". www.aucklandrugby.co.nz. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  6. "Faatiga Lemalu". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  7. Lemalu Yorkshire Carnegie, Faatiga. "Player Profile - Yorkshire Carnegie | Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds". Yorkshire Carnegie. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. "Pirates Sign Samoan International Fa'atiga".