Pita Alatini

Last updated

Pita Alatini
Birth namePita Faiva-ki-moana Alatini
Date of birth (1976-04-11) 11 April 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)
School King's College
University University of Otago
Notable relative(s) Anthony Alatini
Sam Alatini (brothers)
Spouse Megan Cassie
ChildrenTonica (daughter)
Tiara (daughter)
Trey (son)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1995–1996 Counties Manukau 30 ()
1997–1998 Southland 21 ()
1999–2001 Otago 16 (20)
2002–2003 Wellington 14 (10)
2004–2006 Suntory Sungoliath 21 (42)
2006–2013 Kamaishi Seawaves ()
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1996 Crusaders 5 ()
1997 Chiefs 3 ()
1998–2001 Highlanders 48 ()
2002–2003 Hurricanes 16 ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1995 Tonga 1 (0)
1999–2001 New Zealand 17 (30)
Coaching career
YearsTeam
2013– Pakuranga United

Pita Faiva-ki-moana Alatini (born 11 April 1976 in Nukuʻalofa) is a Tongan-born New Zealand rugby union footballer. Alatini is a midfield back who played in 17 tests for the All Blacks between 1999 and 2001, scoring 6 test tries.

Contents

Alatini played 81 NPC matches for four different provinces (Counties-Manukau, Southland, Otago, and Wellington), and 72 Super 12 matches for four different franchises (Crusaders, Chiefs, Highlanders, and Hurricanes). [1] He has also played professionally in Japan for Suntory Sungoliath and Kamaishi Seawaves.

Alatini is married to pop singer and actress Megan Alatini. His brothers Tevita, Anthony and Sam Alatini have played for the Tonga national rugby union team.

Career overview

Alatini moved to Auckland from Tonga as a child. He attended King's College, and played for the national secondary school side in 1993-94 and the national under-19 team in 1995. He played 30 matches for the Counties-Manukau NPC team in 1995–96, and five matches for the Crusaders in the Super 12 in 1996. He represented the New Zealand Colts and played three Super 12 matches for the Chiefs in 1997. [1]

In 1997–98, Alatini played for Southland in the NPC, and began to specialise as a midfielder (up until then, he had often played as a fullback). Alatini played for the Highlanders in the Super 12 from 1998 to 2001, and it was during this time that he became a regular selection for the All Blacks. [1]

In 2002 and 2003, Alatini played for the Hurricanes in the Super 12 and Wellington in the NPC. By this time, he had fallen out of favor with the All Black selectors, [1] and in 2004 he moved to Japan to play for Suntory Sungoliath. [2] In 2006, he left Suntory to play for Kamaishi Seawaves. [3]

In 2013, Pita started a new role as Director of Rugby at Pakuranga United Rugby Club in Auckland's eastern suburbs. In his first year of coaching the premier side, he led Pakuranga United to their first Gallaher Shield victory in the club's 48-year history.

All Black career

Alatini made his debut for the All Blacks on 11 June 1999, in a 22–11 victory over New Zealand A at Jade Stadium. [4] He played his first test on 26 June 1999, in a 54–7 victory over France at Athletic Park. [5] He was selected for the 1999 Rugby World Cup squad, playing in a pool match against Italy which the All Blacks won 101–3, [6] and coming on as a replacement for Tana Umaga in the third-place playoff against South Africa, which South Africa won 22–18. [7]

Alatini was the All Blacks' first choice second five-eighth during the 2000 Tri Nations, and was selected for the All Blacks' end-of-year tour to France and Italy. He was dropped from the starting line-up for the tests against France, with the selectors preferring Daryl Gibson at second five-eighth due to his more physical defense. [8] He played as an unused reserve in the second test against France, and started the test against Italy. [9] He regained his place as the All Blacks' first choice second five-eighth for the 2001 domestic tests and Tri Nations. Alatini played his last test for the All Blacks on 1 September 2001, in a 29–26 loss to Australia at Stadium Australia. [10]

After the 2001 Tri Nations, the All Blacks coaches Wayne Smith and Tony Gilbert were replaced by John Mitchell and Robbie Deans. Alatini was selected for the All Blacks for the last time on the 2001 tour of Ireland and Argentina. He was relegated to the mid-week team, with the new coaches preferring Aaron Mauger at second five-eighth for the test matches due to his superior distribution skills. [11]

Post rugby

In 2020 Alatini revealed on the docu-series Match Fit that he developed binge drinking problems shortly after being dropped from the All Blacks by Mitchell, but had recovered by 2020. [12] He had the lowest metabolic age in season one of Match Fit, at 29 years old as a 44-year-old, and becoming the only graduates of the program with Troy Flavell. He returned in season 2 of Match Fit in 2021, but as emergency backup squad. [13] On the first tackle rugby scrimmage against East Coast, he dislocated his shoulder after scoring a try in the second half. [13]

Personal life

Pita married Megan Alatini in 2000, they met in 1994. He has three children: Two daughters, Tonica, born 13 May 1995 and Tiara born 2002, and one son, Trey, born 2005.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricanes (rugby union)</span> NZ rugby union club, based in Wellington

The Hurricanes is a New Zealand professional men's rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in Super Rugby. The Hurricanes were formed to represent the lower North Island, including the East Coast, Hawke's Bay, Horowhenua Kapiti, Manawatū, Poverty Bay, Wairarapa-Bush, Wanganui and Wellington unions. They currently play at Sky Stadium, having previously played at the now-defunct Athletic Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Gregan</span> Australian rugby union player

George Musarurwa Gregan AM is a retired Australian rugby union player, and is currently Australia's most capped international player.

Hirotoki Onozawa is a rugby union player who plays at Wing or occasionally Fullback for Canon Eagles. He previously played for Suntory Sungoliath and the Japan national rugby union team. Nicknamed "the eel" for his sharp sidestepping ability, Onozawa is the second most capped Japanese rugby player of all time, and fifth highest try scorer in international rugby. Despite spending much of his career in the shadow of Daisuke Ohata he is considered an all-time great of Japanese rugby in his own right.

Japan Rugby League One is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the Japan Company Rugby Football Championship, to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The chief architect of the league was Hiroaki Shukuzawa who strongly felt the urgency of improving Japanese domestic company rugby to a professional level which would allow Japan to compete more convincingly at Rugby World Cups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokyo Sungoliath</span> Japanese rugby union club, based in Tokyo

Tokyo Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus. The team rebranded as Tokyo Sungoliath ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby Southland</span>

Rugby Southland is the provincial rugby union who govern the Southland region of New Zealand. Their headquarters are at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, which is also the home ground of the union's professional team, the Southland Stags who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division and challenge for the Ranfurly Shield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piri Weepu</span> Rugby player

Piri Awahou Tihou Weepu is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Weepu played most recently for Wairarapa Bush in the Heartland Championship. Generally Weepu played as a half-back but also played at first five-eighth on occasion. He has represented the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, between 2004 and 2013. He first won national honours against Wales in 2004. In 2005 was called back into the All Blacks squad for the first Tri Nations test against South Africa, having missed selection for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour. He represented the Hurricanes and Blues in Super Rugby, and Wellington and Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup. He also had brief spells with several clubs in Europe. In October 2017, Weepu announced his retirement as a rugby player.

Tony Eion Brown is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer, who played mainly at first five-eighth. He is an assistant coach for the South Africa national rugby union team, having previously been the head coach of Otago and the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Rush</span> Rugby player

Eric James Rush is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and rugby sevens legend, and now a supermarket owner. His New Zealand Sevens career began in 1988 and ran until past his 39th birthday in 2004. Rush played in more than 60 tournaments, with the highlights being two Commonwealth Games gold medals and the World Cup Sevens victory in 2001. He was also voted Best and Fairest Player at the 1991 Hong Kong Sevens.

Rico Levi Gear is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He was a specialist right wing but also covered midfield positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Giteau</span> Australian rugby union player

Matthew James Giteau is an Australian rugby union professional player who plays for San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR).

Namulauulu Alama Ieremia is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former international player for Western Samoa and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Bunce</span> Rugby player

Frank Eneri Bunce is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and coach. He played international rugby for both Western Samoa and New Zealand in the 1990s, appearing in the 1991 and 1995 World Cups. He played in four international matches for Samoa and 55 for New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Maling</span> New Zealand rugby player (born 1975)

Thomas Simon Maling is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer and former All Black. His usual playing position was at lock. He played for most of his rugby career in New Zealand for the Otago Highlanders and the All Blacks from 1996 - 2004 before heading overseas to London to play part of one season at Harlequins in 2004 before heading to Japan. He joined the Scarlets at the start of the 2008–09 European season, leaving Suntory Sungoliath in Japan, where he played for three years from 2005 to 2008. In mid-2009, at age 34, Maling hung up his boots and retired from rugby and returned to his native New Zealand to live.

Ryan Tamarua Nicholas is an Australian-born Japanese rugby union player who plays for Suntory Sungoliath of the Top League in Japan. In July 2011, he received Japanese citizenship. Although he is of Cook Island Maori heritage, he has played internationally for Japan since 2008.

Glen Matthew Osborne is a New Zealand television presenter, former rugby union player and current Police Constable for the New Zealand Police.

Craig Dowd born 26 October 1969 in Auckland, New Zealand is a former rugby union player and ex-coach. He played 60 test matches for New Zealand between 1993 and 2000, spending his entire provincial career with Auckland. He spent his entire Super 12 career, 64 matches, with the Auckland Blues, between 1996 and 2001 and is the official Blues player number 001, winning back-to-back titles in 1996 and 1997. From 2001 to 2005 he played for London Wasps in the Guinness Premiership, amassing 115 caps with the club. He started as Wasps won the 2002–03 Premiership Final, and two years later was a replacement when they won it again. Following his retirement as a player he took on a coaching role with the club. In 2009 he took up a position as the Head coach for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup. Formed one of the greatest frontrow combinations with Sean Fitzpatrick and Olo Brown.

Jason David O'Halloran is an All Black cap and rugby union coach. He is now the Assistant Coach at Suntory Sungoliath. He was the Assistant Coach of Glasgow Warriors. Before that he was an Assistant coach to the Scotland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damian McKenzie</span> Rugby player

Damian Sinclair McKenzie is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays fullback or First five-eighth for Waikato in the Bunnings NPC competition and Chiefs in super rugby. McKenzie has played 40 tests for New Zealand since his international debut in 2016.

The 2019 Top League Cup was the second edition of the Top League Cup, a rugby union cup competition for Japan's Top League and Top Challenge League teams. This was the first time Top Challenge League teams played in the competition, after the 2018–19 featured Top League teams only.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Knight, Lindsey. "Pita Alatini profile". New Zealand Rugby Museum. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  2. ↑ "For All Black Alatini to play in Japan". AP Worldstream. 19 March 2004.
  3. ↑ "Top League Profiles 2006-7 (6) Suntory Sungoliath". Rugby in Japan. 3 (33). 10 October 2006. Retrieved 18 January 2007.
  4. ↑ "New Zealand vs New Zealand 'A' at Jade Stadium". Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  5. ↑ "New Zealand vs France at Athletic Park". Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  6. ↑ "New Zealand vs Italy at McAlpine Stadium". Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  7. ↑ "New Zealand vs South Africa at Millennium Stadium". Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  8. ↑ Gray, Wynne (9 November 2000). "Now it's nine for red and blacks". The New Zealand Herald .
  9. ↑ "New Zealand vs Italy at Luigi Ferraris Stadium". Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  10. ↑ "New Zealand vs Australia at Stadium Australia". Rugby Museum Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  11. ↑ Gray, Wynne (16 November 2001). "Mehrtens in tune for test". The New Zealand Herald .
  12. ↑ "Match Fit Season 1 Ep 2 | DOCUMENTARY/FACTUAL | ThreeNow". www.threenow.co.nz. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Match Fit Season 2 Ep 3 | DOCUMENTARY/FACTUAL | ThreeNow". www.threenow.co.nz. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
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.