Samiu Vahafolau
Encyclopedia
Samiu Kaufusi Vahafolau is rugby union
footballer who currently plays for AS Béziers in the French Pro D2 as well as the Tongan national team
. His usual position is number eight.
in 1991. He made his Super 12 debut for the Blues in 1999, but never fully settled in that competition, spending 5 years alternating between stints with the Blues and Highlanders.
After a stint in Japan
with the Sanyo Wild Knights
, Vahafolau moved to France
in 2007 to join Biarritz Olympique
in the Top 14. He would find a home at Biarritz and play some of the finest rugby of his career, scoring 6 tries in 24 matches for the squad in his first season. He was the starting number 8 for Biarritz through the 2009-10 season before falling down the pecking order in 2010-11.
After 4 seasons with Biarritz, Vahafolau dropped down a league to sign with AS Béziers of the Pro D2 for 2011-12.
in the run-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup
but was not selected to the final squad.
After two years away from the national team, he was brought back in 2011 and scored a try on his return against Fiji
on 2 July.
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 who currently plays for AS Béziers in the French Pro D2 as well as the Tongan national team
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
. His usual position is number eight.
Playing Career
Vahafolau was born in Tonga and immigrated with his family to New ZealandNew 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...
in 1991. He made his Super 12 debut for the Blues in 1999, but never fully settled in that competition, spending 5 years alternating between stints with the Blues and Highlanders.
After a stint in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the Sanyo Wild Knights
Sanyo Wild Knights
Panasonic Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half , it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.All-Japan Champions:...
, Vahafolau moved to France
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...
in 2007 to join Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
in the Top 14. He would find a home at Biarritz and play some of the finest rugby of his career, scoring 6 tries in 24 matches for the squad in his first season. He was the starting number 8 for Biarritz through the 2009-10 season before falling down the pecking order in 2010-11.
After 4 seasons with Biarritz, Vahafolau dropped down a league to sign with AS Béziers of the Pro D2 for 2011-12.
International Play
Vahafolau made his debut for TongaTonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
in the run-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
but was not selected to the final squad.
After two years away from the national team, he was brought back in 2011 and scored a try on his return against 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...
on 2 July.