Date of birth | [1] | 21 May 2000||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Suva, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 124 kg (19.5 st; 273 lb) [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | St Boniface's Catholic College Ivybridge Community College Exeter College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Lagi Tuima (sister) Joe Cokanasiga (cousin) Akapusi Qera (uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rusiate Tuima is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a Lock or Back-row for Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs. [3]
Born in Suva, Fiji, Tuima moved to England from Fiji as a child at the age of four. [3] [4]
Tuima made his Exeter Chiefs debut in the Premiership Rugby Cup against Bath Rugby at Sandy Park in 2019. He made his full Premiership Rugby debut coming off the bench against Wasps RFC at the Ricoh Arena in January 2021. [5] In March 2024, he signed a new contract with the club until 2026. [6]
Although born in Fiji, Tuima has represented England at youth level. [7] In 2018 he competed for the England Under-18 side. [8] Tuima scored a try for the England U20 team in a defeat to Wales during the 2019 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. [9] Later that year he was a member of the squad that finished fifth at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship. [10]
In February 2024 Tuima scored a try for England A in a victory over Portugal. [11]
The nephew of Fiji national rugby union team player Akapusi Qera, Tuima's older sister, Lagi Tuima, has represented England women's national rugby union team internationally and plays for Harlequins Women in the Premier 15s. [12] [13] [14] Their brother Jeremy is also in the academy at Exeter. [15] Their cousins include Bath Rugby and England international Joe Cokanasiga and his younger brother, Phil Cokanasiga, who played for London Irish. [14]
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