Karena Wihongi is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 rugby union footballer. He plays as a prop, and has "a reputation for powerful scrummaging courtesy of his hefty 19st 9lb, 6ft 1in frame." He previously played his club rugby for the Aviva Premiership side Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...

, to whom he was signed in 2010. He came from former French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 clubs Oyonnax Rugby

Oyonnax Rugby

Union sportive Oyonnax Rugby is a French rugby union club from Oyonnax in the Ain département of the région Rhône-Alpes, currently competing in the second level of the French league system . They play at Stade Charles-Mathon...

 and CS Bourgoin Jallieu; he is a French qualified player based on residency. The Sale Sharks' coach stated that "He was on my priority list as soon as I was appointed and was delighted when he signed on the dotted line." He currenly plays for Castres Olympique

Castres Olympique

Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...

 in the Top 14.