Lesley Vainikolo

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Lesley Vainikolo

birthname = Lesley Vainikolo
birthyear = 1979
birthmonth = 05
birthday = 04
placeofbirth = NukuOkinaalofa, Tonga
height = convert|6|ft|2|in|m|2|abbr=on
weight = 17 st 8 lb (112 kg)
nickname = The Volcano
King Lesley
ru_currentteam = Gloucester Rugby
ru_currentposition = Wing|capital=yes
ru_position = wing|capital=yes
ru_clubyears = 2007-present
ru_proclubs = Gloucester Rugby
ru_clubcaps = 15
ru_clubpoints =(55)
ru_nationalteam = England
ru_nationalyears = 0
ru_nationalcaps = 0
ru_nationalyears = 2007 -
ru_nationalcaps = 5
ru_nationalpoints = (0)
rl_position = Wing
rl_clubyears = 2002-2007 1997-2002
rl_proclubs = Bradford Canberra
rl_clubcaps = 151 68
rl_clubpoints = (598) (140)
rl_nationalteam = New Zealand
rl_nationalyears = 1998-2005
rl_nationalcaps = 12
rl_nationalpoints = (56)
other = yes
occupation =
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
school = De La Salle College (Auckland)
university =

Lesley Vainikolo (born 4 May 1979 in NukuOkinaalofa, Tonga) is a dual code professional rugby union player for Gloucester Rugby. He plays on the wing.

He previously played rugby league for Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League and more recently Bradford Bulls in the European Super League. Vainikolo has also played on several occasions for New Zealand Kiwis at international level, including several Rugby League Tri-Nations appearances. As in rugby league, his position in union is wing. He represented England Rugby Union in the 2008 6 Nations.

Childhood and early career

Vainikolo grew up in South-West Auckland playing rugby union but switched to rugby league as he explains, "I first got into rugby league when I was 11. One of my mates got me into it. His team were short on numbers and my mate asked if I wanted to play. I grew up playing union, so I had the basic skills. I played the game and absolutely loved it. And I've been hooked since. He attended De La Salle College, Mangere East and holds the school's 100m record of 10.90s."cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/rugby_league/features/newsid_3480000/3480129.stm |title=Bradford's Volcano talks rugby league! |accessdate=2006-06-24 |publisher=BBC Sport ] Vainikolo ran the 100 metres in 10.6 seconds in qualifying for the 1998 World Junior Athletics Championships. ["The Times", 1 May 2007]

Rugby League

Canberra Raiders

Vainikolo had two big league heroes when he was younger - Allan Langer and Mal Meninga. So when Vainikolo received a call from Mal Meninga to join the Canberra Raiders, he had no hesitation. Thus, in 1998, Vainikolo began his professional rugby league career for the Canberra Raiders in the Australian National Rugby League competition. In his first season for the club, he was voted as the Canberra Raiders' rookie of the year. While playing for the Raiders, Vainikolo was dubbed by Australian rugby league commentator Peter Sterling as 'The Volcano'. The reason for this is because Sterling found the player's surname difficult to pronounce and shortened it to "Volcano" and he has been called this nickname ever since.

Bradford Bulls

Vainikolo made his debut in the 2002 World Club Challenge against the Newcastle Knights in January. However, his first season with the club in 2002 was disrupted by injury. He scored only 13 tries in 24 appearances. In his second season with the club he scored an impressive 28 tries in 32 appearances. He was voted as the best rugby league player in the world in 2003. He lived up to that accolade in the following season by breaking the Super League try scoring record by scoring 36 tries in only 26 appearances, including five hat-tricks.

Again in 2005, his season was disrupted with injury, although he still managed to score a remarkable 34 tries in 23 appearances. During the 2005 rugby league season his contract was due to expire at the end of the season and Vainikolo received what he says was "a very big offer"cite news |title=Bradford boost as Vainikolo stayes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/bradford/4370853.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2005-03-22 |accessdate=2006-06-24 ] from Gloucester Rugby Club, who play in the leading English rugby union competition the Guinness Premiership. However, Vainikolo declined the offer and decided to remain with the Bradford Bulls until the end of the 2009 Super League season. After signing the contract, Lesley Vainikolo's coach at the time, Brian Noble stated "Lesley is a world-class player and was in big demand from both union and league clubs. To manage to keep him in rugby league says a lot for the sport and also the Bradford Bulls." At the end of the 2005 season, Vainikolo had scored a remarkable 112 tries in 105 appearances for the Bulls.

On 15 May 2007, it was confirmed by Bradford Bulls that he was to leave the club and join Union side Gloucester Rugby Club. [Bradford Bulls Official Website] Vainikolo spoke about his move saying: "First and foremost I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone connected with Bradford Bulls - including my team-mates, the staff and all the supporters - for making the last five years so memorable.

"Bradford is my home and I know I'll be back. I'm determined to go out on a high and want to contribute as much as possible over the next six weeks before I make the switch."

His last match at Odsal was on 17 June 2007 against Hull, a 34–8 win. Hooker Terry Newton took the limelight with four tries but Vainikolo was allowed a parting shot when he was given the chance to convert a last minute try from regular goal-kicker Paul Deacon; the first shot of his career and his only two-point score for Bradford Bulls.

Vainikolo's last match in Super League was against the Bulls' most fierce rivals Leeds Rhinos at Headingley on 29 June 2007, he scored the opening try in a 38–14 win for the Bulls, leaving his Bradford Bulls career statistics at 152 games, 149 tries and 1 goal.

In August 2007, he was named in Bradford's Team of the Century.

International Rugby League career

Vainikolo made his first international appearance for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1998. He has scored fourteen tries in twelve appearances for his nation, including nine tries in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.

He was ruled out of both the 2005 and 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations series through injury. He has had major surgery on his knees over recent years. [cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby/article3162518.ece |title=Lesley Vainikolo in league of his own for both brain and brawn |publisher=The Times |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ] [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/3760606.stm |title=Vainikolo to miss British matches |publisher=BBC Sport|date=2004-10-20 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ] [cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/10/25/slfish25.xml |title= Vainikolo surgery angers Kiwis |publisher=The Telegraph |date=2005-10-24 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ] [cite web |url=http://www.rugbyleague.co.nz/news.asp?id=44240 |title=Kiwis still hope to have 'Volcano' |publisher=NZ City |date=2004-10-21 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ] [cite web |url=http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2006/2/27/185452.html |title=Vainikolo hopeful of avoiding knee surgery |publisher=Telegraph & Argus |date=2006-02-27 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ] [cite web |url=http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-3-2006-90303.asp |title=Rugby League: Knee Forces Lesley Out |publisher=The Guardian |date=2006-03-03 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ]

Rugby Union

Gloucester Rugby

In 2007, Vainikolo signed a three-year deal with rugby union premiership side Gloucester who finished top of the Guinness premiership in 2006/07. Gloucester head coach, Dean Ryan, was delighted with the new signing of Vainikolo. He will aim to add plenty of power and pace to the Gloucester back division.

Vainikolo is the fourth Bradford Bulls Player to have joined Rugby Union in the last 6 years after Tevita Vaikona joined Saracens, and Henry Paul and former team-mate Karl Pryce who also joined Gloucester Rugby.

Vainikolo scored five tries on his debut for Gloucester against Leeds Carnegie on 16 September 2007, proving his ability to score tries in either code.

Vainikolo was top try scorer on a number of occasions throughtout the 07-08 Season but finished joint 4th with Worcester wing Miles Benjamin with a total of 9 tries

He scored against Leeds Carnegie (5), Harlequins (2), Worcester Warriors (1) and Saracens (1)

The Barbarians

Vainikolo was selected for the Barbarians squad and played 2 matches against a Belgium x/v in Brussels and against Ireland at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester He scored a try against Belgium and played well against Ireland but was not selected in the 22 to face England at Twickenham for the Gartmore Challenge.

International Rugby Union career

As a union player, Vainikolo was eligible to play for Tonga by birth, New Zealand by parentage or England by residence. He has applied for a British passport and has been included in the English squad for the Six Nations Championships in 2008. He has already qualified under residency rules and has not played representative rugby at any level for Tonga, rejecting the chance to play in 2007 Rugby World Cup so that he could play for his adopted nation. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/7179403.stm |title=England to Fast Track Vainikolo |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-01-09 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/7179403.stm |title=Vainikolo tipped as England star |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-01-09 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ]

Vainikolo is being backed to be a success from all quarters. Henry Paul, who enjoyed great domestic success with Gloucester Rugby but never reached the same level at International level, believes Vainikolo can enjoy a far greater impact. [cite web |url=http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQve4DtaBcP0oVJp9Pf-JUllBhLw |title=Paul backs Vainikolo to sparkle |publisher=The Press Association |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ]

He made his international rugby union debut for England v Wales on 2 February 2008,cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23171825-23217,00.html|title=Vainikolo called into starting side
publisher=Fox Sports|date=2008-02-06|accessdate=2008-02-07] while his second appearance came for England against Italy in Rome on 10th February 2008. He also played against France, also in the Six Nations on 23 February 2008, Scotland on 8 March 2008 and Ireland on 15 March 2008. So far he has played five test matches and is yet to score a try.

He was dropped by Rob Andrews for the England tour of New Zealand, and has been left out of Martin Johnson's Elite Squad for 2008-2009. Whether or not he will return to international rugby for England is debatable.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/news.cfm?categoryID=55&id=218 Baa-Baas win in Brussels]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2007/05/16/grfc_press_conference_160507_feature.shtml BBC Gloucestershire feature on Vainikolo signing]
* [http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/bb_squad_full.asp?SquadID=23 Lesley Vainikolo Official Player Profile]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/bradford/6660139.stm Vainikolo quits league for union]
* [http://www.gloucesterrugbyclub.com/304_3230.php Vainikolo speaks of Gloucester Rugby switch joy]
* [http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/323_3321.php Gloucester Rugby profile]
* [http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/08/01/10/RUGBYU_Vainikolo_Factfile_Re-ru.html Sportinglife profile]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7179408.stm England new boys - Lesley Vainikolo]
* [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12198_3087543,00.html Volcano to erupt]