Date of birth | 29 January 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of birth | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Irie Papuni (born 29 January 2001) is an Australian rugby union player, of Tongan heritage, who plays for Moana Pasifika. His preferred position is lock or flanker. [1]
Papuni is of Tongan heritage, but grew up in Australia. He played his club rugby for Eastern Suburbs before joining Western Sydney Two Blues. [2] [3] He had previously been a member of the Waratahs academy, and represented the Junior Wallabies. [4]
Papuni joined the Moana Pasifika for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. [5] He made his debut in Round 2 of the season against the Drua. [6]
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.
Kurtley James Beale is an Australian professional rugby union representative player who has made over 90 national representative appearances in a ten-year playing career at the world-class level. He is of Aboriginal descent, has had a long Super Rugby career with the New South Wales Waratahs and has played for the Melbourne Rebels and the Wasps club in England. Beale usually plays at full-back or centre but can play fly-half or winger. In 2011 Beale received the John Eales Medal, awarded to Australian rugby's Player of the Year.
Sekope Kepu is a retired Australian professional rugby union player. He is a prop and last played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby in 2024. He has previously played for Australian club New South Wales Waratahs, the French club Bordeaux, and London Irish. He also plays for Australia's Wallabies in international matches. Kepu made his international debut for Australia in 2008 and has been a regular in match-day squads ever since, now having played over 100 tests. Kepu is the most-capped prop to ever play for the Wallabies and is also one of the most-capped rugby players in history.
Christian Pharaoh Leali'ifano is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Super Rugby club Moana Pasifika. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds, having previously played over twenty-five times for Australia between 2013 and 2019.
Lolagi Visinia is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing or fullback for Auckland in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented both New Zealand and Manu Samoa internationally.
Adam Coleman is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Top 14 club Bordeaux Bègles. Born in Australia, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Taniela Tupou is an Australian professional rugby union player. He plays as a tight head prop for the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby Pacific and has represented Australia in international rugby. Born in Tonga he qualifies for Australia by residency.
Henry Taefu is a Samoan professional Rugby Union player. He currently plays for North Harbour in the Bunnings NPC and Moana Pasifika in the Super Rugby Pacific, having previously played for the Western Force in Australia’s Super Rugby AU. His playing position is inside centre.
Isileli J. Tuʻungafasi is a Tongan born New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays for Northland in the Bunnings NPC. He previously played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. His position is prop. He is the brother of Ofa Tuʻungafasi, another rugby union player.
Mark Nawaqanitawase is an Australian professional rugby league player who plays on the wing for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Ryan Smith is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby. His playing position is lock.
Sosefo Losino 'Apikotoa is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a prop for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for Anthem Rugby Carolina in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but represents Tonga internationally, for which he is eligible due to his Tongan descent.
The 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season is the 27th season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous seasons were replaced with Super Rugby Unlocked, Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU in 2020, and Super Rugby Aotearoa, Super Rugby AU, and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in 2021. The 2022 edition will revert to a 12-team competition, with a single pool replacing the geographical conference system, as well as introducing a new name for the reformatted competition. The season is expected to run from 18 February, with the final to be played on 18 June - culminating before the start of the mid-year international window.
'Api Kakalaia Solomone Funaki is a Tongan rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Dragons RFC in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Challenge Cup. He previously played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He represents Tonga internationally.
Sateki Latu is an Australian rugby union player of Tongan descent, who plays for Moana Pasifika. His preferred position is prop.
Ola Tauelangi is an Australian rugby union player of Tongan descent, who currently plays as flanker for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby and for Auckland in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
Jack Bowen is an Australian rugby union player, who plays for the Waratahs. His preferred position is fly-half.
Thomas Maka is an Australian rugby union player, of Tongan heritage, who plays for Moana Pasifika. His preferred position is hooker.
The 2024 Queensland Reds season was the 28th Queensland Reds season in the Super Rugby since entering the professional era in 1996. In addition to the domestic competition played across the Tasman and the Pacific, the Reds also hosted Wales on their tour of Australia (July) following the conclusion of the season, and toured Tonga, playing a development XV fixture in Nukuʻalofa.
Michael Scott is a Scottish rugby union player, who played for the Waratahs in Super Rugby. His preferred position is prop.