Sione Vailanu

Sione Vailanu
Full nameSione Langi Vailanu
Date of birth (1995-01-27) 27 January 1995 (age 29)
Place of birthNukualofa, Tonga
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight127 kg (280 lb; 20 st 0 lb)
UniversityAsahi University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8, Flanker
Current team Glasgow Warriors
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018–2019 Saracens 10 (20)
2019–2021 Wasps 31 (25)
2021–2022 Worcester Warriors 21 (15)
2022– Glasgow Warriors 20 (30)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015 Tonga U20 4 (15)
2017– Tonga 12 (20)
Correct as of 28 August 2023

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Sione Langi Vailanu (born 27 January 1995) is a Tongan professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for United Rugby Championship club Glasgow Warriors and the Tonga national team.[1]

Club career

Sione's early career consisted of 4 years of playing rugby sevens in Japan with the Asahi University.[2] While he was playing in Japan he was scouted by Afa Hanipale who recommended him to invitational team Samurai RFC.[3] Sione was invited to play for Samurai RFC at the Hong Kong 10s tournament in 2017

It was at the Hong Kong 10s, playing for Samurai RFC,[4] that he impressed the then Saracens Academy Director Donald Barrell. Barrell was with Samurai RFC as their forwards coach and following a successful tournament approached Sione with a view to moving to Saracens.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] Several injuries, including to his hand, would limit him to four games across all Saracens' competitions in the remainder of the 2017/18 season.[9]

In February 2019, Sione announced his signing by Wasps, in order to receive more game time and to partially fill the position vacated by Nathan Hughes who departed at the conclusion of the 2018/19 season.[10]

In April 2021, Worcester Warriors announced that Vailanu would be joining them at Sixways Stadium on a two-year contract.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Sione Vailanu". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Sione Vailanu: Saracens sign Tonga forward on 18-month deal". BBC. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Samurai Rugby". mysite. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  4. ^ "2017 | GFI HKFC 10s". www.hongkongtens.com. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Worcester Warriors sign Sione Vailanu". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  6. ^ Ned Keating (4 January 2018). "Rugby Union: Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall adds Sione Vailanu to squad". Ham & High. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Sport: 'Ikale Tahi players allowed to skip northern tour". Radio New Zealand. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  8. ^ Sam Tremlett (23 August 2018). "Watch: Have Saracens Found The Next Billy Vunipola". Rugby World. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Match Preview". Bedford Rugby. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Sione Vailanu: Wasps sign Saracens and Tonga number eight". 20 February 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Sione Vailanu: Coming to Sixways". 27 April 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.