Peter Fatialofa

Last updated

Peter Fatialofa
MNZM
Birth namePeter Momoe Fatialofa
Date of birth(1959-04-26)26 April 1959
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
Date of death6 November 2013(2013-11-06) (aged 54)
Place of death Apia, Samoa
Height1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Weight115 kg (254 lb)
Notable relative(s) DJ Forbes (nephew)
John Senio (son-in-law) [1]
Children8
Occupation(s)Piano and furniture mover
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1980 Grafton ()
1981–96 Ponsonby RFC ()
198?-19?? L'Aquila Rugby ()
1994–95 Manurewa ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1984–1992 Auckland 72 (24)
1994–1996 Counties Manukau [2] 18 (20)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1988–96 Samoa 34 (15)
Coaching career
YearsTeam
1999 Samoa (assistant coach)
2002 King Country
2012–2013 East Tamaki RFC

Papali'itele Peter Momoe Fatialofa MNZM (Samoan: Pita Fatialofa) (26 April 1959 – 6 November 2013) was a Samoan rugby player [3] who captained Samoa in their first Rugby World Cup appearance in 1991. He was among the first of the New Zealand-based players to represent Samoa. He was nicknamed Fats.

Contents

Early life

Fatialofa's father is from Lepa Aleipata, Samoa and his mother from Samoa too, but all his life was raised from his mother's side. Fatialofa was born in Auckland, but returned to Samoa when he was still at primary school. [4]

Career

Fatialofa began his senior rugby career in Auckland playing for the Grafton Club as a 19-year-old [4] in the Auckland Senior B competition. He transferred to the Ponsonby club in 1981, winning the Gallaher Shield eight times with that team between 1981 and 1995. [5] He played 72 representative games for Auckland and was part of their Ranfurly Shield reign from 1985 to 1993. In the late 80s and in the early 90s, he also played for Modena Rugby and L'Aquila Rugby in Italy. [6] [7] [8]

Fatialofa debuted for Samoa against Ireland in a test match on 29 October in their 1988 tour of Wales and Ireland. He first captained Samoa in 1989 and led them at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. They lost to Scotland in the quarter-finals 28–6.

Fatialofa last played for Samoa against Fiji in Suva on 20 July 1996. Fats: Peter Fatialofa and the Manu Samoa Story an autobiography was published and released the same year. He subsequently worked as a director for his family-owned piano and furniture moving business. [9]

Fatialofa died of a heart attack in Apia on 6 November 2013. [10] [11]

Honours

In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Fatialofa was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby. [12]

In 2019, Fatialofa was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame, alongside Richie McCaw, Shiggy Konno, Os du Randt, Sir Graham Henry, and Diego Ormaechea. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Whineray</span> Rugby player

Sir Wilson James Whineray was a New Zealand business executive and rugby union player. He was the longest-serving captain of the national rugby union team, the All Blacks, until surpassed by Richie McCaw in 2014. Rugby writer Terry McLean considered him the All Blacks' greatest captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kirwan (rugby)</span> New Zealand rugby footballer and coach

Sir John James Patrick Kirwan is a New Zealand mental health advocate, former rugby union and rugby league player, and former rugby union coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Jones (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Sir Michael Niko Jones is a New Zealand former rugby union player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Marshall</span> NZ international rugby union player

Justin Warren Marshall is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005.

Michael James Bowie Hobbs, generally known as Jock Hobbs, was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A flanker, he played for Canterbury and won 21 caps for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, between 1983 and 1986, with four tests as captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Va'aiga Tuigamala</span> Samoa rugby footballer (1969–2022)

Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala Pulelua Fesola'i, sometimes known as Inga Tuigamala, was a professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. Born in Samoa, he represented New Zealand in rugby union, winning 19 caps, and later Samoa in both rugby league and rugby union. He played in one rugby league and two rugby union World Cups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Wiki</span> New Zealand rugby league footballer

Ruben James Wiki is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative centre-turned-prop forward, he retired with the record for most international appearances of any rugby league player in history. As of 2023, he is still the highest capped Kiwi player ever. At club level Wiki played for the Canberra Raiders, winning the 1994 NSWRL Premiership with them before finishing his career with the New Zealand Warriors. He currently works as the NZRL's High Performance Manager and a High Performance Assistant with the New Zealand Warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Tietjens</span> Rugby player

Sir Gordon Frederick Tietjens is head coach of the Samoa rugby sevens team, and a celebrated former coach of the New Zealand men's national team in rugby sevens, the All Blacks Sevens. When the International Rugby Board inducted him into the IRB Hall of Fame in May 2012, it said that "Tietjens' roll of honour is without peer in Sevens, and perhaps in the Game of Rugby as a whole." According to Spiro Zavos, Tietjens is "The greatest of all the Sevens coaches".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Williams (rugby union)</span> NZ international rugby union player & coach

Sir Bryan George Williams is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and former coach of the Samoan national rugby team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Lowe</span> New Zealand rugby league footballer, coach and administrator

Sir Graham Michael Lowe is the owner of the Bradford Bulls together with fellow New Zealander Andrew Chalmers. He is a New Zealand former rugby league football coach and administrator. He previously coached in Australia and England and was the CEO of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He is also the only non-Australian to coach a State of Origin team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Allen (rugby union)</span> New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach

Sir Frederick Richard Allen was a captain and coach of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Fatialofa-Paloto</span> New Zealand netball and softball player

Rita Taimalietane Fatialofa-Patolo is a Samoan sportsperson who played netball and softball for New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Forbes</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Derek Jamie "DJ" Forbes is a New Zealand former rugby union player and captain of the All Blacks Sevens team. Forbes is part Samoan, and also played rugby fifteens as a loose forward for Counties Manukau.

Dylan Gabriel Mika was a New Zealand-born rugby union player who represented the national teams of both Samoa and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tawera Nikau</span> Former NZ & NZ Māori international rugby league footballer

Tawera Nuieia Nikau is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative forward, he played club football at a number of different clubs in New Zealand, England and Australia during his career, including the Melbourne Storm's victory in the 1999 NRL season Grand Final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Montgomery (broadcaster)</span> New Zealand sports broadcaster

Peter John "PJ" Montgomery is a New Zealand sports broadcaster. His work has covered many sports, but he is best known as "The Voice of the America's Cup" on New Zealand and International radio and television. He is often remembered for "The America's Cup is now New Zealand's Cup", his summary when New Zealand won their first America's Cup in San Diego in 1995. The line was voted the most memorable sporting commentary moment in history by the Sunday Star Times.

David Fatialofa is a New Zealand rugby league player who played professionally in England for Whitehaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiao'o Fa'amausili</span> Rugby player

Fiao'o Fa'amausili is a former New Zealand female rugby union player. She played for New Zealand and Auckland. She made her Black Ferns debut on 18 May, 2002 against Australia at Barcelona. She was a member of the winning Black Ferns squad for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup. She has been to five World Cups beginning from 2002–2017.

The 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, were appointments made by the Queen in her right as Queen of New Zealand, on the advice of the New Zealand government, to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 3 June 1996.

Cynthia Ta'ala is a sportswoman who has played rugby league for the New Zealand women's national rugby league team and has captained the Samoa women's national rugby union team, of which she is now its assistant coach. She has also played for the New Zealand women's national basketball team.

References

  1. ↑ [nzherald.co.nz/sport/brotherly-love-pitted-against-sibling-rivalry/5WIJWUUMZ2MHCUGPYH3GWA7V6M/]
  2. ↑ Peter Momoe Fatialofa at New Zealand Rugby History
  3. ↑ "Peter Fatialofa". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  4. 1 2 Gifford, Phil (10 November 1996). "Fats finds focus for festive final fling". Sunday Star Times. p. 5.
  5. ↑ Logan, Innes (25 August 1996). "Rebel who found a cause". Sunday News. p. 41.
  6. ↑ "Il pianto dei samoani all'Aquila". LITHIUM 48 (in Italian).
  7. ↑ "Lutto nel rugby neroverde: si è spento il campione Peter Fatialofa". federugbyabruzzo.it.
  8. ↑ "Morto il pilone Fatialofa, il cordoglio dei neroverdi". Radio L'Aquila 1 (in Italian). 6 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Fats Enterprises". Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  10. ↑ Samoan rugby great Peter Fatialofa dies. 3 News NZ. 6 November 2013.
  11. ↑ TVNZ: Legend Peter Fatialofa dies aged 54
  12. ↑ "Queen's Birthday honours list 1996". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 1996. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  13. ↑ New rugbiers in the Hall of Fame
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.