Apollo Perelini

Apollo Perelini
Personal information
Born (1969-07-16) 16 July 1969
Auckland, New Zealand
Playing information
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight 16 st 10 lb (106 kg)
Rugby league
Position Prop, Second-row

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1994–00 St Helens 186 40 0 0 160
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1995 Western Samoa 2 1 0 0 4
Rugby union

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1990–92 Auckland
1992–94 North Harbour
2000–04 Sale Sharks
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1991–93 Samoa
Source: [1]

Apollo Perelini (born 16 July 1969) is a former Samoa dual code rugby international player.

Background

Perelini was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He was named 'Apollo 11' because he was born on the day that the Apollo space project was launched.

He is a New Zealand national.

Playing career

Perelini played for St. Helens in the Championship and the Super League. He also played for Sale Sharks in the Zurich Championship and North Harbour in New Zealand. Perelini played both prop and second row in league, but just as a back row player in union.

In the 1991 Rugby Union World Cup he played as an open side flanker, in the Samoans' four games (against Scotland, Wales, Argentina and Australia). During the World Cup he gained the nickname of 'Terminator' for his fierce, hard-hitting tackling technique. In 1994 he received an approach from St. Helens to play rugby league in England. At first he rejected it, but finally agreed. In 1995 he played for rugby league for Samoa in the Rugby League World Cup, making him the first Samoan to play in World Cups in both codes.

Perelini played for St Helens at prop forward in the 1996 Challenge Cup Final, scoring a try in the last minutes and helping his team to a 40-32 victory over Bradford Bulls.[2] At the end of Super League's first season, Perelini was named at prop forward in the 1996 Super League Dream Team.

Apollo Perelini played left-prop, i.e. number 8, in St. Helens' 16-25 defeat by Wigan in the 1995–96 Regal Trophy Final during the 1995–96 at Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield on Saturday 13 January 1996.[3]

Perelini played for St. Helens at prop forward in their 1999 Super League Grand Final victory over Bradford Bulls, having won this they contested in the 2000 World Club Challenge against National Rugby League Premiers the Melbourne Storm, with Perelini playing from the interchange bench in the loss. He also played for St Helens at prop forward in their 2000 Super League Grand Final victory over Wigan Warriors.

At age 33, after finishing his rugby league playing career, he returned to Rugby Union's Sale Sharks as a player.

Post playing

After retiring from playing he joined the Sale's Coaching staff. In 2004 he returned to St Helens as the team's Head of Strength and Conditioning and Skills coach. Apollo helped St Helens to 4 Challenge Cup titles 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008. 4 League Leaders titles 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. 1 World Club Championship 2007. 1 Grand Final Winners 2006, and also picking up the prestigious BBC sports Team Of The Year in 2006.[4]

He now lives in Dubai and is the Director of Sport at Repton School Dubai, a private school. Wayne McDonald is keen to get him involved with rugby league in the United Arab Emirates.[5] He currently runs two sporting Academies - Apollo Perelini Rugby Skills Academy (www.aprsa.com) and JETS (a female football academy), at an increasing number of venues around the emirate.

Apollo is the current head coach of the UAE National Rugby team, a position which he started in 2015 for the UAERF.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Rugby League Project
  2. ↑ "Steve Prescott Foundation". Steve Prescott Foundation. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  3. ↑ "13th January 1996: St Helens 16 Wigan 25 (Regal Trophy Final)". Wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "UAE International Rugby Team Squad Profiles 2017". Yalla Rugby. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
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