Pelu Taele

Pelu Taele is a British footballer. Leeds Tykes announced his signing from Saracens F.C. on loan until the end of the 2006/7 National Division One season in December 2006.

He cemented a place in the national side after catching the eye with his performances with New Zealand club side Otago in the NPC Championship.

The 6' 6" (1.98 m) second row has been a regular for Samoa since breaking into the national side at the start of 2005, making his international debut for Samoa against Tonga in July and including a test start against England in November.

More recently, he featured in the Pacific 5 Nations squad with tests against the Junior All Blacks, Fiji, Tonga and Japan.

Commenting on his signing, Director of Rugby Stuart Lancaster said: "When we heard about the possible availability of Pelu from Saracens we were very interested in signing a player of his potential.

" We were delighted when it became clear that we could secure his services on loan for the rest of the season and we are looking forward to integrating him into our squad. He will add value to our pack and team and he is a player with outstanding potential and hopefully we can see that develop here at the club.

"I have been looking for a quality second row for the squad since the retirement of Chris Murphy at the start of the season and this signing will fill that gap. We are also still hopeful of bringing in another couple of backs to bolster our squad in the coming weeks in replacement for the long term injuries we have sustained."

On joining the Tykes, Taele said: "I am looking forward to meeting up with my new team mates and getting involved. It is a big challenge coming to a new club but one I am looking forward to. It is five weeks since my last game with Otago so I am keen to get back out playing and doing my best for Leeds.

"I had heard of Leeds back in New Zealand and obviously knew they had been relegated from the Premiership last year. But looking at the results this year and seeing that the team are top of the table at the moment shows that they are bouncing back well. I came off contract with Otago this year and decided to take the challenge of moving to England. Hopefully, I can help Leeds reach their goals for the season and make an impact in this country."