| Date of birth | (1993-01-17)17 January 1993 (age 32) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 99 kg (218 lb; 15 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Kelston Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lolagi Visinia (born 17 January 1993) is arugby union player, who currently plays as awing orfullback forAuckland in New Zealand's domesticNational Provincial Championship competition.[1] He was born and raised inNew Zealand, but has represented bothNew Zealand (insevens) andManu Samoa internationally.
Visinia attendedKelston Boys' High School, where he turned out for the school's first XV. Although Kelston Boys 1st XV didn't win the Auckland competition in 2011, Visinia helped his team win their firstNational Top 4 title in 12 years. He scored a try in the 24 – 14 win overWesley College in the Final.[2] Later that year, Visinia also played for the Kelston Boys' sevens team that won the Condor Sevens, an annual Secondary School Sevens tournament in New Zealand.[3]
During his time at Kelston Boys', Visinia representedAuckland and theBlues at age grade level, both in the 15-a-side game and insevens.[4][5][6]
On 14 August 2012, at the age of 19, Visinia was named in theAuckland ITM Cup squad, for the first time.[7] He made his provincial debut – off the bench – on 2 September 2012 againstManawatu[8] and his starting debut on 7 October 2012 againstNorth Harbour.[9] He scored his first try for Auckland on 27 October 2012 againstCanterbury in the2011 ITM Cup Premiership Final that Auckland lost 18 – 31.[10]
While not named in the Blues squad for the2013 Super Rugby season,[11] Visinia – as a member of the Blues wider training group – made his Super Rugby debut on 13 July 2013 against theChiefs.[12] It was his only Super Rugby game that season, but he was named in the Blues squad for2014.[13] He scored his first try for the Blues on 25 April 2014 against theWaratahs.[14]
Visinia spent four seasons at the Blues, before signing with French clubGrenoble in November 2016.[15] At the end of the2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season, his first with the club, Grenoble secured promotion to theTop 14 after winning a promotion/relegation match 47–22 againstOyonnax. Visinia scored two tries in that game.[16] However, after the2018–19 Top 14 season, Grenoble was relegated back to thePro D2 after losing a promotion/relegation match 22 -28 againstBrive.[17] It turned out to be Visinia's last season with the club.
On 3 June 2019, Japanese clubNEC Green Rockets announced the signing of Visinia.[18] He made his debut for the club on 22 June 2019 againstMazda Blue Zoomers, scoring 2 tries on debut.[19] He played a total of 10 games (scoring 5 tries) for the Green Rockets; five games for the2019 Top League Cup and fiveTop League games. The2020 Top League season was cancelled after round 6 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic[20] and Visinia returned toNew Zealand.
In July 2020, it was announced that Visinia would joinHawke's Bay for theMitre 10 Cup.[21] He made his debut for the Magpies – off the bench – againstSouthland on 13 September 2020. A week later he was named in the starting line-up againstCounties Manukau and scored his first try for the Magpies in that game.[22] He went on to play 11 games – in which he scored 5 tries – in his first season for Hawke's Bay, helping the Magpies win the2020 Mitre 10 Cup Championship title and theRanfurly Shield.[23] At the end of the season, he was named the Magpies' Rookie of the Year.[24]
On 2 December 2020, Visinia was named in theHurricanes squad for the 2021 Super Rugby season.[25] He made his debut for the franchise on 21 May 2021 against theRebels,[26] in what turned out to be the only game he played for the Hurricanes.
On 26 October 2021,Moana Pasifika announced that it had signed Visinia for the2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[27] On 29 March 2022, he made his debut for the new franchise – via the bench – in their home game against theBlues.[28] His first start for Moana Pasifika followed on 12 April 2022 against theHurricanes.[29]
In 2024, after four seasons playing forHawke's Bay, Visinia returned to where it all began. On 29 July 2024, he was named in theAuckland squad for the2024 NPC season.[1]
After a successful 1st XV season with Kelston Boys' High School, Visinia was named in the 2011New Zealand Secondary Schools team that played matches againstAustralian Schools and Australian Schools 'A'.[30]
Fresh out of school, at the age of 19, he was part of the 2012New Zealand Sevens squad. He played in theHong Kong andJapan rounds of the2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series.[31][32]
A year later, Visinia was named in theNew Zealand Under-20 squad for the2013 IRB Junior World Championship. He played in 4 games and scored 4 tries during the tournament.[33]
As a result of a change in international eligibility rules – adopted by World Rugby on 24 November 2021 – which allows captured players to change to a new countryonce, provided they or their (grand)parents were born in the new country, Visinia – who is of Samoan descent – was able to play forManu Samoa despite having representedNew Zealand insevens.[34] On 2 June 2022, he was named in the Manu Samoa squad for the first time.[35] He made his international debut for Samoa on 2 July 2022 againstAustralia A in their first game of the2022 Pacific Nations Cup, which they won 31–26.[36]
