 Tuilagi at 2011 Rugby World Cup during South Africa vs Samoa match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Alesana Tuilagi (1981-02-24)24 February 1981 (age 44) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft3+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 124 kg (273 lb; 19 st 7 lb)[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | John Cleveland College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Anitelea,Freddie,Henry,Sanele Vavae &Manu (brothers) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alesana "Alex" Tuilagi (born 24 February 1981) is a formerSamoanrugby player. He is a retired rugby player, currently residing in Fogapoa Savaii and has appeared numerous times for his national teamSamoa. He previously played forParma in Italy and forLeicester Tigers in theAviva Premiership and more recentlyNewcastle Falcons.[3]
The Tuilagi family has strong connections with Leicester Tigers; Alesana's brothersHenry,Anitelea (Andy), andFereti (Freddie) are all former players and two younger brothers,Vavae andManu Tuilagi both played in a game for Leicester Tigers against theClassic All Blacks, on 25 May 2008.
Whilst at Parma, whom Tuilagi played with for two seasons, he was equal second toptry 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 theParker Pen Shield. He made his debut for Samoa in a2003 Rugby World Cup qualifier against Fiji in June 2002. In 2004 Tuilagi's illegal tackle onMark Cueto began a scuffle that led to the yellow carding ofSemo Sititi, and red cards for Tuilagi and, Tigers team mate,Lewis Moody who became the first England player to be sent off at Twickenham.[4]
Tuilagi was included in thePacific Islanders rugby union team tour to Europe in late 2006 and played a significant part in the Samoan national teams' successes in theRugby World Cup in 2007.
Tuilagi enjoyed his best-ever season in 2010/11, finishing the season as the club's top try-scorer and asAviva Premiership top scorer for the first time. The big Samoan collected 17 tries in all competitions, with 13 in the Premiership, including the match-winner in the semi-final against Northampton Saints and a hat-trick against Gloucester at Welford Road.
Playing alongside younger brother Manu, Alesana lined up against older sibling Henry during the Heineken Cup in 2010/11 and has also played against Anitelea in the Premiership. Tuilagi has started eight of Tigers' nine finals since 2006/07, missing out only on the Guinness Premiership Final against London Irish in 2009 due to suspension. He was Man of the Match in the 2006/07 Premiership Final win over Gloucester, scoring two tries,[5] and started the 2010 final when Leicester defeated Saracens.[6] He was also named Supporters' Player of the Year in same season.
Tuilagi was again included inSamoa's squad to the2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. He started in all 4 pool games and scored a hat trick againstNamibia. After the eight years with Leicester, Tuilagi left following the2011–12 Aviva Premiership season to joinNTT Communications Shining Arcs of the JapaneseTop League.[7] On 8 May 2014, Tuilagi returned to England to compete in theAviva Premiership withNewcastle Falcons on a two-year contract, rejoining with his brotherAnitelea Tuilagi.[8]
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Tuilagi was part of the Samoan squad that beatAustralia 32 – 23 on 17 July 2011 at Sydney in a test match. Tuilagi made the opening try as Samoa ran in 4 tries to Australia's two.[9][10][11]
On 25 June 2013 Tuilagi was called up to the Samoan squad for the SA tour and the 2013 Pacific Cup
Tuilagi has five brothersHenry,Anitelea (Andy),Fereti (Freddie),Vavae andManu Tuilagi who are allrugby players. He andManu are bothCatholic.[12]
Tuilagi was arrested on 26 August 2014 inDublin after presenting himself atDublin Airport. AEuropean arrest warrant had been issued relating to an assault in a Dublin night club a number of years previously.[13]
