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–
2019		 Saracens
→San Diego Legion (loan)		 14
15		 (15)
(0)
Correct as of 15 April 2021 [1]
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2018
2018–
2019–		 England U18
USA Selects
United States 		 
0
8		 
(0)
(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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Purpura</span> American rugby union player

Anthony Purpura is a professional American rugby union player who plays prop for the USA Eagles XV side. He currently plays for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR).

Greg Peterson is an Australian-born USA international rugby union player currently with the San Diego Legion. He previously played for Glasgow Warriors. His regular playing position is lock. Peterson has played professionally in Australia and Europe. Peterson has played for the United States national rugby union team since 2014, including at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Baumann</span> American rugby union player

Chris Baumann is an American rugby union player who currently plays for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) as a tighthead prop.

Joseph Soosemea Taufeteʻe is an American rugby union player who plays as a hooker and prop for the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR). A converted American football player, Taufeteʻe has also previously represented the United States by serving as captain of the USA Selects. He also plays for the United States national team.

Nate Augspurger is an American rugby union player from Minneapolis, Minnesota who plays scrum-half for the Chicago Hounds in Major League Rugby (MLR).

William John E. Hooley is a former rugby union player who played fly-half for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Rugby</span> Professional rugby union competition in the United States and Canada

Major League Rugby (MLR) is a professional rugby union competition for clubs in North America. In the 2023 season it was contested by twelve teams: eleven from the United States and one from Canada. While operating outside of the governance and oversight of the national governing body, the league is officially sanctioned by USA Rugby—a member union of Rugby Americas North (RAN)—and is consequently part of World Rugby. The league was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Ryan Matyas is an American rugby union player who plays as a wing for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) and for the United States national rugby union team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psalm Wooching</span> American rugby union player (b. 1994)

Psalm Fa'afoisia Pulemagafa Wooching is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States men's national team. He formerly played for the San Diego Legion in the Major League Rugby (MLR).

Paul Mullen is an Irish-American rugby union player who plays prop for the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States men's national team. Mullen previously played for the Houston SaberCats, the San Diego Legion and the Newcastle Falcons.

Vili Tolutaʻu is an American rugby union player who plays as a forward for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also represents America playing for the United States men's national team.

Malon Maurice Al-Jiboori is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States men's national rugby sevens team and the United States men's national team (XVs). He currently plays for Ealing Trailfinders and the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR).

Huluholo Etueni Lopeti Moungaloa is a rugby union player who plays prop for the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also plays for the United States men's national team.

Devereaux St Bruno Ferris is a New Zealand-born, American rugby union player who plays at scrum-half for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also represents America as a member of the United States men's national team and USA Selects.

Nicklas Swain Boyer is an American rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States men's national team.

Sean McNulty is a professional rugby union player who currently plays as a hooker for the Miami Sharks of Major League Rugby (MLR).

Fakaʻosi Pifeleti is a United States rugby union player, currently playing for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States national team. His preferred position is prop.

Kianu Kereru-Symes is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker or prop for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby. He previously played a season for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States.

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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.