Sione Vailanu

Sione Vailanu
Birth name Sione Vailanu
Date of birth (1995-01-27) 27 January 1995
Place of birth Tonga
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 119 kg (262 lb; 18 st 10 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Back row (No. 8)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018–2018 Saracens 5 (5)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017–2017 Tonga 2 (0)
Correct as of 2 September 2018

Sione Vailanu (born 27 January 1995) is a Tongan rugby union player who plays for English Premiership side Saracens. Before joining Saracens he was a sevens player in Japan.

Sione's early career consisted of 4 years of playing rugby sevens in Japan with the Asahi University.[1]

It was his performance here that led to joining the Tongan national team "Ikale Tahi" for two games, against Japan and Romania, with a defeat and victory respectively.[2] Along with several other members of the Tongan team, he chose to depart from national duty early in order to ease the mid-season joining in England.[3]

Sione joined Saracens at the beginning of January 2018 to act both as injury and international call-up cover, with an initial contract to the end of the 2018/19 season.[4] Several injuries, including to his hand, would limit him to four games across all Saracens' competitions in the remainder of the 2017/18 season.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Sione Vailanu: Saracens sign Tonga forward on 18-month deal". BBC. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Ned Keating (4 January 2018). "Rugby Union: Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall adds Sione Vailanu to squad". Ham & High. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Sport: 'Ikale Tahi players allowed to skip northern tour". Radio New Zealand. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ↑ Sam Tremlett (23 August 2018). "Watch: Have Saracens Found The Next Billy Vunipola". Rugby World. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Match Preview". Bedford Rugby. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.


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