Alesana Tuilagi
Encyclopedia
Alesana "Alex" Tuilagi is a Samoan
rugby union
footballer. He currently plays for the Leicester Tigers
in the English club competition, the Aviva Premiership, and has appeared numerous times for his national team Samoa
. He previously played for Parma in Italy.
The Tuilagi family has strong connections with Leicester Tigers; Alex's brothers Henry
, Anitelea (Andy), and Fereti (Freddie)
are all former players and two younger brothers, Vavae
and Manu Tuilagi
both played in a game for Leicester Tigers against the Classic All-Blacks, on the 25 May 2008.
Whilst at Parma, whom he played with for two seasons, he was equal second top try
scorer of the league for the 2003–04 season, with 12 tries in total for the season. He helped them get to the semi-finals of both the domestic competition, and the ParkerPen Shield. He made his debut for Samoa in a 2003 Rugby World Cup
qualifier against Fiji in June 2002.
He was included in the Pacific Islanders rugby union team
tour to Europe in late 2006 and played a significant part in the Samoan national teams' successes in the Rugby World Cup in 2007.
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He currently plays for the Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
in the English club competition, the Aviva Premiership, and has appeared numerous times for his national team Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
. He previously played for Parma in Italy.
The Tuilagi family has strong connections with Leicester Tigers; Alex's brothers Henry
Henry Tuilagi
Enele "Henry" Tuilagi is a Samoan rugby union footballer. He currently plays for USA Perpignan in the French club competition, the Top 14, and has appeared four times for his national team Samoa...
, Anitelea (Andy), and Fereti (Freddie)
Freddie Tuilagi
Fereti Tuilagi is a former Samoan rugby union Rugby player who previously played rugby league for Halifax Blue Sox and St. Helens. He played as a wing or centre and now is currently retired...
are all former players and two younger brothers, Vavae
Sanele Vavae Tuilagi
Sanele Vavae Tuilagi is a Samoan professional rugby union player. Sanele is the younger brother of Henry, Freddie, Alesana and Anitelea Tuilagi who are all Samoan internationals. He is also the older brother of Manu Tuilagi, an England international.Sanele played for the Samoan National U-20 team...
and Manu Tuilagi
Manu Tuilagi
Manu Samoa Tuilagi is a Samoan born British professional rugby union player who currently plays for Aviva Premiership side Leicester Tigers...
both played in a game for Leicester Tigers against the Classic All-Blacks, on the 25 May 2008.
Whilst at Parma, whom he played with for two seasons, he was equal second top try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
scorer of the league for the 2003–04 season, with 12 tries in total for the season. He helped them get to the semi-finals of both the domestic competition, and the ParkerPen Shield. He made his debut for Samoa in a 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
qualifier against Fiji in June 2002.
He was included in the Pacific Islanders rugby union team
Pacific Islanders rugby union team
The Pacific Islanders rugby union team is an international rugby union team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. While Niue and the Cook Islands are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004...
tour to Europe in late 2006 and played a significant part in the Samoan national teams' successes in the Rugby World Cup in 2007.