 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Sione Tuitupu Lauaki[1] (1981-06-22)22 June 1981[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | 12 February 2017(2017-02-12) (aged 35) Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (254 lb; 18 st 2 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Waitakere College Kelston Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Epalahame Lauaki (brother) Senita Lauaki (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sione Tuitupu Lauaki (22 June 1981 – 12 February 2017) was a Tongan-born New Zealandrugby union footballer who played forBayonne. He previously played for the New Zealand national team, theAll Blacks. His brother,Epalahame Lauaki, is a 2nd rowrugby league footballer previously playing forAuckland Warriors in theNRL competition. He died on 12 February 2017.
He attendedWaitakere College inAuckland where he made the first XV in 1998. He later moved toKelston Boys High School, where he also played in the first XV. He played his club rugby forWaitemata Rugby Football and Sports Club and was instrumental in theirGallaher Shield win in 2003.[1] He was the fourthAll Black to come from the Waitemata club after Adrian Clarke,Ken Carrington andMichael Jones.
While playing for the combinedPacific Islanders team in 2004 he scored test match tries againstAustralia,New Zealand andSouth Africa.[1] He was one of the two Pacific Islanders rugby union team players picked for the All Blacks, the other beingwinger,Sitiveni Sivivatu.
He has playedloose forward for theAll Blacks, with whom he made his debut in 2005 againstFiji. His final match for New Zealand was in 2008 againstSamoa. During his time with the All Blacks he was capped 17 times and scored three tries.[1]
InSuper Rugby he played for theChiefs. He racked up 70 caps for the team, having scored 14 tries during his Super Rugby career. Lauaki went on to play forASM Clermont Auvergne at the start of the2010–11 Top 14 season. He later moved toAviron Bayonnais.[2] In February 2012 during routine tests, Lauaki was diagnosed with renal failure and cardiovascular problems. As a result, the club signed him off for the rest of the season.[3]
Lauaki died on 12 February 2017, aged 35, due to heart and kidney problems.[4]
