| Born | Izaiha Moore-Aiono 3 March 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 99 kg (15 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Wellington College, Berkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Izaiha Moore-Aiono (born 3 March 2000) is a professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a back row forward for Castres in the French Top 14. [1] Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds. [2]
Moore-Aiono was born in Auckland, New Zealand to Māori and Samoan parents. His mother, Aroha Lam ( née Moore), played rugby at test level for the Black Ferns, earning three caps in 2004. [3] His father, Rudal Aiono, is of a Samoan family originating from Fasito'o Uta in Upolu and Sataua in Savai'i. [4]
When he was six years old, Moore-Aiono moved with his family to Queensland in Australia, where he began playing rugby league in the junior section of NRL side North Queensland Cowboys. [2] At the age of 13, he emigrated to England, settling in Berkshire. While a student at Wellington College, Moore-Aiono switched to rugby union, representing both Bracknell and the Berkshire county team, before he was recruited into the London Irish junior academy in 2015. [5] During his time in the club's senior academy, he spent the 2018–19 season dual-registered the National League 1 side Esher.
Moore-Aiono made his senior debut for London Irish during the 2019–20 season, coming on as a replacement in a Premiership match against Harlequins in September 2020. [1] His first league start followed in the 2020–21 season, against Sale Sharks in December 2020. [6] Playing as a flanker or number 8, the majority of Moore-Aiono's appearances for London Irish took place in the Premiership Rugby Cup, whilst he also had a spell on loan with the RFU Championship club Ealing Trailfinders. [5]
In June 2023, Moore-Aiono was made redundant and left without a club, after London Irish was suspended from all rugby competitions, upon entering into administration due to financial insolvency. [7] Subsequently, he was signed by Northampton Saints on a short-term contract in August, featuring as a guest player in the 2023–24 Premiership Rugby Cup, and in a friendly fixture against the Barbarians. [8] Once this deal ended, Moore-Aiono transferred to Ampthill in October, for the remainder of the 2023–24 RFU Championship. [9] He featured 18 times for the team across their league and cup campaign, scoring two tries. [1]
The following season, Moore-Aiono joined Saracens on a trial basis, ahead of the start of the 2024–25 Premiership Rugby Cup, and scored two tries in as many appearances to begin his time at the club. [10] At the end of this trial period, he was recruited by Castres in France, on a short-term 'medical joker' deal, to cover for injuries in the Top 14 club's senior squad. [11]
Moore-Aiono was eligible to represent four different nations under World Rugby criteria. He qualified for New Zealand and Samoa via ancestry, and also England and Australia on residency grounds. [2]
At age-grade level, Moore-Aiono represented England, with his first start for the England U19s occurring in a win over Wales in April 2019. [12] This was followed a month later with a try-scoring debut for the England U20s, in a victory against South Africa. [13]
Having opted to represent his ancestral home country of Samoa at test level, Moore-Aiono received his first senior call-up for the 2024 summer internationals. [4] He made his test debut for Samoa on 5 July 2024, starting at openside flanker and scoring a try in the nation's 33–25 triumph over Italy. [14] He earned three further caps during Samoa's bronze medal-winning campaign in the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup, which included a brace of tries against Tonga. [15]