Atieli Pakalani
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Birth name | Atieli Pakalani | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 2 August 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Ha'ateiho, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Tamaki College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Atieli Pakalani (born 2 August 1989)[1] is a Tongan rugby union player.[2] He is nicknamed the 'Tongan Hitman',[3] and his usual position is on the wing. Pakalani played Super Rugby for the NSW Waratahs in 2011.[2] In 2017 Pakalani joined Leicester Tigers.[4]
Pakalani attended secondary school at Tamaki College in New Zealand.[5] He joined ITM Cup team Auckland in 2009 on a two-year deal. He also captained the Tongan Under 20 team at the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship.[6] In 2014 Pakalani represented at the time committing him to represent Australia only. In 2016 he was successful in an application to use a loophole in World Rugby's eligibility laws to allow him to represent Tonga[7] and on 1 July 2017 he made his international debut for Tonga in a 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifier against Samoa.[8]
Reference list[]
- ^ "Afa Pakalani". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Atieli Pakalani Player Profile". New South Wales Waratahs. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ "Atieli Pakalani". Green and Fold Rugby. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Leicester Tigers sign Tonga full-back Atieli Pakalani". Leicester Mercury. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ "Pakalani turns Super rugby dream into reality". Otago Daily Times. Fairfax. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ "Atieli Pakalani". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ "Pacific nations hopeful of changes to rugby's eligibility laws". radioNZ. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- ^ "Tonga (20) 30 - 26 (16) Samoa (FT)". 1 July 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
External links[]
- "Atieli Pakalani Player Profile". New South Wales Waratahs. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011.
- Tongan rugby union players
- Rugby union wings
- 1989 births
- Living people
- New South Wales Waratahs players
- Auckland rugby union players
- Tongan emigrants to New Zealand
- Tongan expatriate rugby union players
- Expatriate rugby union players in Australia
- Tongan expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- People educated at Tamaki College
- People from Tongatapu
- Leicester Tigers players
- Tonga international rugby union players
- Peñarol Rugby players