Kapeli Pifeleti

Last updated

Kapeli Pifeleti
Date of birth (1999-09-01) September 1, 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Tonga
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight245 lb (111 kg)
School Haileybury College
Notable relative(s) Fakaʻosi Pifeleti (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Prop
Youth career
2017–2018 Saracens
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2019– Saracens 14 (15)
2019 →San Diego Legion (loan) 15 (0)
Correct as of 15 April 2021 [1]
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2018 England U18
2018– USA Selects 0 (0)
2019– United States 8 (5)
Correct as of 11 July 2022 [2]

Kapeli Pifeleti (born September 1, 1999) [3] is a rugby union player who plays as a hooker and prop for Saracens in Premiership Rugby and the United States national team. Born in Tonga, [4] Pifeleti has also represented the United States with the USA Selects and England with the England national under-18 team.

Contents

Club career

Saracens Academy

Pifeleti played for Saracens F.C. in 2017 and 2018, making appearances with the Saracens Storm and Saracens Under-18 sides. [5] [6]

San Diego Legion

In late 2018, it was announced that Pifeleti would play for the San Diego Legion during Major League Rugby's 2019 season. [4] Pifeleti made his debut for the Legion on January 27, 2019, appearing as a substitute and playing at prop, in a 25–23 defeat to Rugby United New York. [7] Pifeleti made his first start for the Legion on February 9, 2019, playing at hooker, in a 17–13 victory over Houston. [8]

International career

England under-18 team

Pifeleti was named to the roster for the England national under-18 team in 2018. [9]

USA Selects

Having lived several years in San Francisco while growing up, Pifeleti was eligible to play for the USA. [10] Pifeleti was named to the roster for the USA Selects ahead of the 2018 Americas Pacific Challenge. [11] However, he did not make an appearance for the team during the competition. [4]

USA Eagles

Pifeleti made his debut for the USA Eagles on February 23, 2019, appearing as a substitute, in the Eagles' 33–28 victory over Brazil during the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship. [12] Pifeleti qualified to represent the United States by meeting World Rugby's residency requirement. [13]

Personal life

Pifeleti has an older brother, Fakaʻosi Pifeleti, who also plays rugby as a prop for the San Diego Legion. [13] Their father, ʻOtenili Pifeleti, played rugby for the Tonga national and Samoa national teams, [14] and served as captain of the former during the 1980s. [15]

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References

  1. ↑ "Kapeli Pifelei". its rugby. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Kapeli Pifelei". espnscrum. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Kapeli Pifeleti". espn.co.uk. ESPN . Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 "San Diego Legion reveal 2019 MLR roster". Americas Rugby News. December 18, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Report: U18s Edge 11-Try Thriller at Allianz Park". Saracens F.C. January 30, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Storm Team to Face Richmond". Saracens F.C. August 24, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  7. ↑ "New York beat San Diego in MLR debut". Americas Rugby News. January 27, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Legion leave it late to beat SaberCats". Americas Rugby News. February 10, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Barlow Included in England U18s 2018 Squad". Harlequin F.C. February 19, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  10. ↑ "San Diego Legion Signs Kapeli Pifeleti". djcoilrugby. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  11. ↑ "USA add England hooker Pifeleti to APC roster". Americas Rugby News. September 27, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Americas Rugby Championship - TX, 23 February 2019, 19:10 local, 03:10 GMT +1d". espn.co.uk. ESPN . Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Foreign-Born Players in 2019 Americas Rugby Championship". Americas Rugby News. January 31, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  14. ↑ "ʻOtenili Pifeleti". espn.co.uk. ESPN . Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Kapeli Pifeleti". San Diego Legion . Retrieved March 13, 2019.
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