- Napolioni Nalaga
-
Napolioni Nalaga 
Full name Napolioni Vonowale Nalaga Date of birth April 7, 1986 Place of birth Sigatoka, Fiji Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight 16 st 2 lb (105 kg) Nickname black beast 'Naps', 'the new Lomu', 'animal[1] the pillow School Lelean Memorial School Notable relative(s) Kavekini Nalaga
Maleli KunavoreRugby union career Playing career Position wing, flanker, centre Amateur clubs Years Club / team Fiji u21 captain Professional / senior clubs Years Club / team Caps (points)
2007–2010
2012 -Clermont Auvergne
Western Force90 305 (61t) correct as of 4 September 2011. National team(s) Years Club / team Caps (points) 2009–present Fiji 4 (10) 2T correct as of 4 September 20111. Napolioni Vonowale Nalaga (born 7 April 1986 in Sigatoka Fiji) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing, flanker and Centre. He is nicknamed Napoleon or Naps or Napo. His father, Kavekini Nalaga also represented Fiji in the 80's and just like his son, he played on the wing.[2]
Contents
Career
Nalaga hands off a Bayonne defender.
Nalaga is 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) tall and weighs 231 pounds (105 kg). He first played as a wing for the Fiji Under 19 team to the Under 19 Rugby World Championship where he notched 7 tries in 3 games for the Fiji team. He also helped his Nadroga team win the U21 competition in the Sanyo Cup for 2 years in a row. He was later selected to play for the Fiji U21 team to the 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship in France where Fiji finished 9th overall. He played as a Centre in the tournament. He also made his mark for the Nadroga senior team playing in the Sanyo Cup and the Farebrother Sullivan cup. He was selected into the Fiji sevens team by the then coach Waisale Serevi who was impressed with the youngster for the first leg of the 2006-07 IRB Sevens World Series after which he was given a contract to play for the ASM Clermont Auvergne in the 2007/2008 season alongside other Fijians, Vilimoni Delasau and Seremaia Bai where he finished the season as the leading try-scorer in the competition with 16 tries, 3 better than the previous year, top-try scorer, and captain, Aurélien Rougerie.
In 2008 he was selected in the Pacific Islanders 2008 tour to the British Isles. He was selected to play against France on 15 November 2008 where he made a late, high tackle that resulted in a serious injury to French scrum-half, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and was subsequently given a red card and expelled from the game. He was banned by the IRB judiciary for 22 days.[3] He made a comeback for Clermont on December 13 in the Heineken Cup against Munster after his ban expired.[4] and is the top try-scorer in the Top 14 with 13 tries. He has also being selected to be part of the Fiji sevens team to the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai.[5] He ended the 2008-09 Top 14 season as the top try scorer scoring 20 tries in 19 appearances breaking the record he set last year by 2 tries.[6] In October 2009, he was named the French Top 14 player of the year for the 2008/2009 season and was also included in the French Dream team, the last Fijian to win that award was Rupeni Caucau in 2006[7]
He was selected in the 30-member Fiji squad for the 2009 Autumn Internationals and he made his debut against Scotland on 14 November.
In Early 2011, he did not return to his club for the second half of the Top 14. It was later discovered his wedding which was to happen in December 2010 was postponed because his fiance was involved in a road accident.[8] He was given time to return to the club but in March 2011, his contract with Clermont was terminated as Nalaga was unable to guarantee if he would return to France or not.[9]
After being unheard for in months, he was spotted at a local rugby tournament in Fiji in May 2011 for Nadroga in the Digicel Cup. His prowess and form saw him getting a call-up to the Fiji national team to prepare for the 2011 IRB Pacific Nations Cup. After passing the trials, he was included in the expanded Fiji team to prepare for the PNC and the upcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup.
In September, 2011, he signed a one-year contract with Australian Super rugby side, Western Force for the 2012 Super Rugby season.[10]
See also
References
- ^ Nalaga to give it his all for Fiji
- ^ A chip off the old block
- ^ Nalaga banned for 22 days
- ^ Preview: Munster v Clermont
- ^ Watch him fly, Nalaga scores hat-trick enroute to Dubai
- ^ Top 14 Wrap: Round 26
- ^ Former Nadroga flyer bags 21 tries to be crowned ... France's best
- ^ Clermont concern for depressed Nalaga
- ^ Clermont terminate Nalaga's contract
- ^ Force's 'new Lomu' cuts out Sonny Bill Williams
External links
Fiji squad – 2011 Rugby World Cup Forwards Daveta · Kalou · Koto · Koyamaibole · Lewaravu · Ma'afu · Matadigo · Manu (c) · Nakarawa · Nasiga · Qera · Ravulo · Somoca · Talei · Tuapati · Veikoso · WaqaniburotuBacks Bai · Buatava · Fatiaki · Goneva · Kenatale · Keresoni · Little · Lovobalavu · Luveniyali · Murimurivalu · Nalaga · Tagicakibau · VuliVuliCoach DomoniPacific Islanders 2008 tour to Europe Fiji Samoa Tonga Head coach Categories:- 1986 births
- Living people
- Fijian rugby union players
- Rugby union wings
- ASM Clermont Auvergne players
- Rewa people
- Rugby union centres
- Fiji international rugby union players
- Pacific Islanders rugby union players
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
