Lesley Vainikolo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lesley Vainikolo

Personal information
Born	Lesley Paea 'I'muli Vainikolo (1979-05-04) 4 May 1979 (age 46) Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	112 kg (17 st 9 lb)
Playing information
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1997–02 Canberra Raiders 69 35 0 0 140 2002–07 Bradford Bulls 152 149 1 0 598 Total 221 184 1 0 738 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1998–05 New Zealand 14 14 0 0 56
Rugby career
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Centre Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2007–12 Gloucester Rugby 87 (180) 2012–13 La Rochelle 13 (5) 2013–14 Angerien () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2002 Tonga sevens () 2008 England 5 (0)

Lesley Paea 'I'muli Vainikolo (born 4 May 1979) is a famous former professional rugby player. He played both rugby league and rugby union. He is one of the few players to represent two different countries in these sports. He played for the New Zealand Kiwis in rugby league. Later, he played for England in rugby union. People often call him 'The Volcano' because of his powerful playing style.

He started his career playing rugby league in Australia for the Canberra Raiders. Then he moved to England to play for the Bradford Bulls. After that, he switched to rugby union with the English club Gloucester. In both sports, he usually played as a winger.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Lesley Vainikolo was born on May 4, 1979, in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga. His family moved to Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand, in 1986. He grew up in South Auckland and first played rugby union.

How He Started Rugby League

When he was 11, a friend asked him to play rugby league because their team needed players. Lesley loved it right away and has been hooked ever since. He played for the Mangere East Hawks in Auckland. He also represented the Junior Kiwis in 1998.

His Amazing Speed

Lesley went to De La Salle College, Mangere East. He still holds the school's record for the 100-meter sprint, running it in 10.90 seconds. He even ran 100 meters in 10.6 seconds to qualify for a world junior athletics championship in 1998.

Rugby League Career Highlights

Lesley Vainikolo had two rugby league heroes: Allan Langer and Mal Meninga. When Mal Meninga called him to join the Canberra Raiders, Lesley didn't hesitate.

Playing for Canberra Raiders

In 1998, Lesley started his professional rugby league career with the Canberra Raiders in Australia. In his first year, he was named the Raiders' rookie of the year. A famous commentator, Peter Sterling, found Lesley's last name hard to say. So, he shortened it to "Volcano," and the nickname stuck!

Lesley was chosen to play for the New Zealand team in 1999. He played on the wing in the final against Australia.

Time with Bradford Bulls

Lesley joined the Bradford Bulls in England in 2002. He made his first appearance in the 2002 World Club Challenge. He scored a try in Bradford's win against the Newcastle Knights. His first season was tough due to injuries.

Winning Championships

In 2003, he helped Bradford win the 2003 Super League Grand Final against the Wigan Warriors. In 2004, Bradford won the 2004 World Club Challenge against the Penrith Panthers, with Lesley scoring another try. That year, he set a new record for tries in the Super League, scoring 36 tries in just 26 games!

Lesley stayed with the Bradford Bulls until 2007. His coach, Brian Noble, said that keeping Lesley was a big deal because many clubs wanted him. Lesley played 152 games for the Bulls, scoring an incredible 149 tries. He even kicked one goal, which was the only two-point score of his career for the Bulls.

International Rugby League

Lesley Vainikolo first played for New Zealand in 1998. He scored 14 tries in 12 games for his country. This included nine tries during the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.

Switch to Rugby Union

In 2007, Lesley decided to switch sports and signed a three-year deal with Gloucester, a rugby union club in England. Gloucester's coach, Dean Ryan, was very happy to have him.

Playing for Gloucester Rugby

Lesley had an amazing start at Gloucester. He scored five tries in his very first game against Leeds Carnegie in September 2007. He finished that season as one of the top try-scorers.

Playing in France

After leaving Gloucester in 2012, Lesley moved to France. He joined the team La Rochelle. Later, in 2013, he played for Rugby Athletic Club Angerien in Saint-Jean-d'Angély.

Playing for the Barbarians

Lesley was also chosen to play for the Barbarians squad. This is a special team made up of players from different clubs and countries. He played two matches for them and scored a try in one game.

International Rugby Union

Before playing rugby union, Lesley played rugby sevens for Tonga in 2002. As a rugby union player, he could have played for Tonga or New Zealand. However, because he lived in England, he applied for a British passport.

Representing England

In 2008, Lesley was chosen to play for the England squad. He made his first appearance for England against Wales on February 2, 2008. He played in five test matches for England in total.

Match Fit TV Show

In 2022, Lesley Vainikolo appeared on the TV show Match Fit. This show features former rugby players who return to improve their fitness. He was part of the Kiwis alumni team.

In 2023, he returned for season 3 of Match Fit. He joined the first season that included former rugby league stars. He shared that he is a father to a 14-year-old son named Kava. In one episode, he scored three tries in a beach rugby game.

In 2024, Lesley came back for Match Fit: Union vs. League. He represented the League team, even though he had played both sports. He shared that he works at Wesley College as a Director of Rugby and a teacher's aide. He is also a dorm parent at night. Despite some initial fitness challenges, he showed great aerobic fitness and strength. He was named the League captain for the final match because he made the most improvements on his team.