Amasio Valence (born 12 May 1979 in Nadi, Fiji) is a Rugby sevens

Rugby sevens

Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...

 player who switched allegiances to New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 after he first made his break into professional rugby in 2000. He was hailed as one of the most promising players in the discipline in recent years.

While Valence played rugby, his entire family enjoyed soccer, with his younger brother being picked for the national side of Fiji

Fiji national football team

The Fiji national football team is the national team of Fiji and is controlled by the Fiji Football Association. Their best finish in the OFC Nations Cup was third in 1998 and 2008.-World Cup record:*1930 to 1978 - Did not enter...

 in 2002. Valence is the only New Zealander to have won three gold medals in rugby sevens at the Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....

; in 1998

1998 Commonwealth Games

The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...

, 2002

2002 Commonwealth Games

The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...

 and 2006

Rugby Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

The 2006 Commonwealth Games were the third Games at which Rugby sevens was played. It is one of the male-only sports at the Commonwealth Games, the other being Boxing. The venue for the Rugby Sevens was the Telstra Dome, on the western edge of Melbourne's Central Business District...

, a testament to his longevity in the game. He last played for NZ in 2008.