Alesana Tuilagi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alesana Tuilagi

South Africa vs Samoa at 2011 Rugby World Cup
Birth name	Alesana Tuilagi
Date of birth	(1981-02-24) 24 February 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Fogapoa, Samoa
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in)
Weight	124 kg (273 lb; 19 st 7 lb)
School	John Cleveland College
Notable relative(s)	Anitelea, Freddie, Henry, Sanele Vavae & Manu (brothers)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2002–04 Parma 0 (0) 2004–12 Leicester Tigers 162 (315) 2012–14 NTT Communications Shining Arcs 18 (15) 2014–2016 Newcastle Falcons 14 (10) 2016–2017 RC Toulonnais 2 (0) Correct as of 2 November 2018 Current local club RC Toulonnais National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2002–13, 2015– Samoa 37 (90) 2006 Pacific Islanders 1 (0) Correct as of 3 October 2015

Alesana "Alex" Tuilagi (born 24 February 1981) is a former Samoan rugby player. He is known for his incredible strength and speed on the field. Alesana played for his national team, Samoa, many times. He also played for famous clubs like Leicester Tigers in England and Parma in Italy.

Playing Rugby: Alesana Tuilagi's Career

Alesana Tuilagi comes from a family of rugby stars! Many of his brothers also played rugby, especially for the Leicester Tigers. His brothers Henry, Anitelea (Andy), and Fereti (Freddie) all played for the Tigers. His younger brothers, Vavae and Manu Tuilagi, also played in a game for the club in 2008.

Early Days in Italy

Alesana played for Parma in Italy for two seasons. During the 2003–04 season, he was one of the top try-scorers in the league. He scored 12 tries that season! He helped his team reach the semi-finals in both their local competition and the Parker Pen Shield.

Alesana first played for Samoa in June 2002. This was a qualifying game for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Joining Leicester Tigers

In 2004, Alesana joined the Leicester Tigers. He became a very important player for them. He was part of the Pacific Islanders rugby union team tour to Europe in 2006. He also played a big role in Samoa's success at the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

Best Season and Big Games

The 2010/11 season was one of Alesana's best. He scored the most tries for his club, the Leicester Tigers. He also scored the most tries in the 2010–11 Aviva Premiership league that year. He scored 17 tries in total, with 13 of them in the Premiership. This included a winning try in a semi-final game and three tries in one match against Gloucester.

Alesana often played alongside his younger brother Manu. He even played against his older brothers Henry and Anitelea in different matches! Alesana played in eight of the Tigers' nine finals between 2006 and 2009. He was named "Man of the Match" in the 2006/07 Premiership Final, where he scored two tries. He also won the Supporters' Player of the Year award in the same season.

World Cup and Moving On

Alesana was part of Samoa's team for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. He played in all four group games and scored three tries in one match against Namibia. After eight years with Leicester, Alesana left in 2012. He joined NTT Communications Shining Arcs in Japan. In 2014, he returned to England to play for Newcastle Falcons, where he joined his brother Anitelea Tuilagi.

Tuilagi making a break for Samoa vs Namibia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup

Historic Win for Samoa

Alesana was part of the Samoan team that made history on 17 July 2011. They beat Australia 32–23 in a test match in Sydney. Alesana scored the first try in that game. Samoa scored four tries in total, while Australia scored two.

In June 2013, Alesana was again called to play for the Samoan team for a tour and the 2013 Pacific Cup.

Alesana Tuilagi's Family Life

Alesana Tuilagi has five brothers, and they are all rugby players! His brothers are Henry, Anitelea (Andy), Fereti (Freddie), Vavae, and Manu Tuilagi. Alesana and Manu are both Catholic.

Images for kids

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  Alesana Tuilagi playing for Samoa in the 2007 Rugby World Cup against South Africa