Asaeli Ai Valu

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Asaeli Ai Valu
Valu Asaeli Ai-1.jpg
Full nameAsaeli Ai Valu
Date of birth (1989-05-07) 7 May 1989 (age 32)
Place of birthTonga
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight115 kg (18 st 2 lb; 254 lb)
SchoolShochi Fukaya High School
UniversitySaitama Institute of Technology
Notable relative(s)Fakahau Valu (father)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team Panasonic Wild Knights
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–present Panasonic Wild Knights 51 (40)
2018–2019 Sunwolves 6 (0)
Correct as of 21 February 2021
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017–present Japan 14 (5)
Correct as of 21 February 2021

Asaeli Ai Valu (ヴァル アサエリ愛, Baru Asaeri Ai, born 7 May 1989) (born as Asaeli Valu[1]) is a Tongan-born, Japanese international rugby union player who plays as a prop.[2] He currently plays for Sunwolves in Super Rugby and Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan's domestic Top League.[3]

International[]

After 4 Top League seasons for Panasonic Wild Knights Ai Valu received his first call-up to his adopted country, Japan's senior squad ahead of the 2017 end-of-year rugby union internationals.

Personal life[]

He received Japanese Citizenship in 2017. He is the son of former rugby union player Fakahau Valu, who represented Tonga at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.[4]

In his university times, during the rugby off-season, he worked part-time at a farm-house and appeared at the Nippon Television variety show .[5]

Upon acquiring Japanese citizenship, he added the kanji of his wife's name (Ai (愛)) to his Japanese name. His wife's great-uncle is the comedian Kinichi Hagimoto. Although Valu himself has not met Hagimoto, he has been received with a phone call.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "アサエリ・ヴァル 選手プロフィール". ジャパンラグビートップリーグ (in Japanese).
  2. ^ "Asaeli Ai Valu ESPN Scrum Player Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Asaeli Ai Valu Japan Rugby Player Profile" (in Japanese). Japan Rugby. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Live it TONGA : Son of Former National Rugby Player Fakahau Valu & Lioneti, now living in Japan". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  5. ^ "出張DASH村 2013年2月10日". Tetsuwan Dash official website. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  6. ^ "【勇敢な桜戦士】バル・アサエリ愛は正真正銘「欽ちゃんファミリー」妻の大叔父は萩本欽一、電話で激励受けた"". Chunichi Sports. Chunichi Shimbun. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
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