Isa Nacewa
Encyclopedia
Isakeli Nacewa is a New Zealand-born rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 footballer of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

an descent. He is a utility back and represents Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

 in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

 competitions. He previously represented the Blues in the Super Rugby
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...

 competition and Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...

. He has also represented Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...

 at international level.

Career

One of the stand-out players for Auckland in their 2005 NPC-winning season, Nacewa is a speedy and versatile player who can play as an outside back
Rugby union positions
In the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...

 or centre. He also proved that he can play as a first five-eighth when he covered successfully for the injured Luke McAlister
Luke McAlister
Charles Luke McAlister is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays first five-eighths and second five-eighths ....

 during the 2006 Super 14 season.

Born and raised in New Zealand, Nacewa qualified to play for Fiji through his ancestral links. He was included in Fiji's squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...

 and came on as a substitute against Scotland. In 2006, he quit the Fiji national team as he wanted his eligibility changed from Fiji to New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....

. But due to IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...

 law, his appearance for Fiji in the World Cup made him ineligible for the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....

, Nacewa considered legal advice to persuade the IRB to annul his Fiji cap, however the IRB has since ruled that Nacewa is a Fijian citizen and has played for Fiji during the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...

, making him only eligible to play for Fiji. According to media reports in October 2009, Nacewa was sounded out about the possibility of again playing for Fiji on their tour to Europe, but he rebuffed these approaches to retain his focus on club rugby with Leinster.

In the 2007 Super 14 coach David Nucifora
David Nucifora
David Nucifora is a former Australian rugby union player, who played for the Queensland and Australia. He played as a hooker. He played for the Queensland team from 1986-1993 and was selected into the Wallabies in 1991 and was also a part of the famous 1991 Rugby World Cup winning team which beat...

 trialled him in their first match against the Crusaders at Fly-half in place of first-choice Luke McAlister
Luke McAlister
Charles Luke McAlister is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays first five-eighths and second five-eighths ....

 who was out because of an injury. Nacewa played so well that Nucifora decided to play him at number 10 and when McAlister returned he was placed in his favorite position at inside centre in order to cater for Nacewa. The Blues defeated the defending champions and Nacewa scored 19 points. In the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....

, Nacewa was voted the player of the tournament after guiding his Auckland team to another thrilling victory and thus winning the coveted Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...

 in another thriller defeating finalist Wellington. He has won the Air New Zealand Cup 3 times with Auckland in 2003, 2005, and 2007
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....

.

In 2008 he moved to Ireland to represent Leinster Rugby, scoring two tries in his opening game for the province. However, he suffered a setback when he sustained a broken arm in the win over the Ospreys on September 19, a game in which he scored two drop goals.

He returned for the later stages of the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

 pool stages and played on the right wing in the quarter-final victory over Harlequins but moved to full-back for the semi-final against Munster with great success. The Irish Times said of his performance "Nacewa’s selection at fullback was vindicated for his stunning line and pass for D’Arcy’s opening try.
But there was so much more than that as well: his security and strength at the back, his counter-attacking runs, his passing and kicking".
He retained his place at full-back for the Heineken Cup final on 23/5/09, keeping Ireland first-choice and Lions tourist Rob Kearney
Rob Kearney
Robert Kearney , also referred to as Rob Kearney, is an Irish rugby union footballer who currently plays for UCD, Leinster and Ireland. As a youth he also played rugby union for Clongowes Wood College and Gaelic football for Louth in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship...

 on the bench, and contributed well to Leinster's 19–16 victory.

In the 2009/2010 season, Nacewa alternated between full-back and wing but was almost ever-present in the starting Leinster XV. Rumours circulated that Nacewa was contemplating a return to the Fijian national team when they toured Ireland and Britain in November 2009; however Nacewa himself rejected this.

In the 2010/2011 season, Nacewa established himself as one of the finest full-backs in Europe with eye-catching displays for Leinster in their Heineken Cup run, scoring two tries in the pool stages as well as a brilliant solo effort in the quarter-final against Leicester. Following that game, his Leinster colleague, Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon D'Arcy
Gordon William D'Arcy is an Irish rugby player, more specifically an inside centre. He is registered to Lansdowne RFC and plays for provincial and RaboDirect Pro12 side Leinster.-Career:...

 said of Nacewa; “It gets kind of boring when he’s that good. He’s probably one of the best players I’ve played with in any shape, way or form."
Nacewa picked up his second Heineken Cup winners medal after playing a key role in Leinster's second-half comeback against Northampton at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...

, Cardiff.

On an individual level, Nacewa was named both the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association (IRUPA) and the Leinster Rugby Player of the Year, as well as being chosen as full-back on the 'Magners League Dream Team' for 2011 and was shortlised for the ERC
ERC
ERC is Northeast Ohio's largest organization providing Human Resources and workplace programs, practices, training and consulting. ERC also hosts the NorthCoast 99 program and sponsors the ERC Health insurance program. It is not uncommon for the media to quote ERC consultants in their stories when...

 European Player of the Year, losing out to his Leinster colleague, Sean O'Brien
Sean O'Brien
Sean O'Brien may refer to:*Seán O'Brien , Gaelic footballer with Nemo Rangers*Sean O'Brien , Irish rugby union player*Sean O'Brien , based in Australia, competes on the Windsurfing World Tour...

.

He was included for the Barbarian F.C.
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...

's match against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...

 starting at fullback. He scored 2 tries, one of which came in the final minute of the game to give the Barbarians a win. Following that game, speculation arose that Nacewa would play for Fiji at the 2011 World Cup, however it was later confirmed by the Fiji rugby union that he would not make himself available, citing family commitments .

Individual

  • IRUPA
    Irish Rugby Union Players Association
    The Irish Rugby Union Players Association is the representative body for professional rugby players in Ireland. Founded in October 2001, its aims are to promote and protect the welfare of professional rugby players in Ireland. The Chief Executive Officer is Niall Woods and Marcus Horan is its...

     Player of the Year: 2011
  • Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

     Player of the Year: 2011

External links

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