Nemani Nadolo facts for kids
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Nadolo with Montpellier
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| Full name | Ratu Nemani Driu Nasiganiyavi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 31 January 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sigatoka, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 137 kg (21 st 8 lb; 302 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | St Joseph's College, Nudgee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nemani Nadolo (born January 31, 1988) is a former rugby union player. He is from Fiji and Australia. He played for the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby. Nemani usually played as a wing or centre. He also played for the Fiji national team.
In 2014, Nemani was the top try scorer in the 2014 Super Rugby season. He played for the Crusaders then. He scored tries in both the semi-final and final games. Nemani is known for being very fast and strong. He sometimes kicked goals for his team. He played 30 games for Fiji between 2010 and 2019. Before that, he played for teams like Leicester Tigers in England, Montpellier in France, and NEC Green Rockets in Japan.
Contents
Nemani Nadolo's Early Life and Family
Growing Up in Fiji and Australia
Nemani Nadolo was born Ratu Nemani Driu Nasiganiyavi in Sigatoka, Fiji. When he was only three months old, his family moved to Brisbane, Australia. His father, Isei Nasiganiyavi, also played rugby for Queensland in the 1980s.
In 2009, Nemani changed his name to Nemani Nadolo. He chose to use his mother's maiden name. This was because his father had left the family when Nemani was young.
School and Rugby Connections
Nemani went to Nudgee College in Australia. In 2005, he was chosen to play for the Queensland Schoolboys rugby team. Nemani has two younger brothers, Chris Kuridrani and Inosi Nadolo. He is also a cousin to other famous rugby players, Tevita Kuridrani and Lote Tuqiri.
Nemani Nadolo's Rugby Journey
Starting His Rugby Career
Nemani first played for Perth Spirit in 2007. He was known as Ratu Siganiyavi back then. After that, he moved to play for Randwick in 2008. He quickly became a star, scoring 13 tries in his first 7 games.
During his time at Randwick, he was picked for the Australian Under 20 team. He played in the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship. There, he scored 7 tries in 5 games, making him the top try scorer of the tournament.
Nemani's strong running and ability to score tries made him stand out. This led to him getting a contract to play for the Waratahs in the Super 14 league.
Comparisons to a Rugby Legend
When Nemani signed with the Waratahs in 2008, people compared him to the famous rugby player Jonah Lomu. This was because of Nemani's size, playing style, and Pacific Islander background. He was also incredibly fast, able to run 100 meters in under 11 seconds.
His first game for the Junior Waratahs was special. It was played in Fiji, very close to his mother's village in Nadi. After changing his name to Nemani Nadolo in 2009, he signed to play for Manly in the Shute Shield for 2010.
Playing Rugby in Europe
In 2010, Nemani signed with a French team called Bourgoin-Jallieu. He played for them in the Top 14 league. In January 2011, he moved to England to play for the Exeter Chiefs.
His time at Exeter was short. He was released from his contract with the club.
Playing Rugby in Japan
After leaving England, Nemani played for the NEC Green Rockets in Japan. He was part of their Top League team from 2011 to 2013.
Super Rugby Success
In October 2013, Nemani signed with the Crusaders for the 2014 Super Rugby season. He made his Super Rugby debut in March 2014 against the Melbourne Rebels. In his first season, he played 14 games and scored 12 tries. This made him the joint top try scorer that year.
He scored a try in both the semi-final and the final games. However, his Crusaders team lost the final to his old team, the Waratahs, by a very close score of 33–32. In August 2014, Nemani signed to stay with the Crusaders for two more seasons.
On May 4, 2022, the Waratahs announced that Nemani would be joining them again for the 2023 season. He returned to the Waratahs 12 years after he had left the team in 2010.
Playing in France's Top 14 League
In November 2015, Nemani signed a three-year contract with Montpellier, a French team in the Top 14 league. He played for them until the end of the 2020 Super Rugby season.
Playing in England's Premiership Rugby
In March 2020, it was announced that Nemani would join Leicester Tigers in England for the 2020-21 season. He played his first game for the Tigers on August 26, 2020, against London Irish. Nemani played very well in their 13-7 win.
On October 30, 2021, Nemani scored two tries in a big game against Northampton Saints. Nemani left the Tigers before the end of the 2022–23 season. He returned to Australia to play for the NSW Waratahs again for their 2023 season.
Nemani Nadolo's International Career
Playing for Fiji
Nemani made his first international appearance for Fiji in 2010. He played in a match against Australia and then in the 2010 IRB Pacific Nations Cup.
In June 2014, Nemani played for Fiji against Italy. He was a key player in that game, scoring 13 points, including a try. A week later, in the 2014 IRB Pacific Nations Cup, he played against Tonga. He scored 20 points, including a try, and kicked 6 conversions and a long-range penalty.
The next week, against Samoa, he scored another try. In his final game for Fiji in June, which was a 2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification match against Cook Islands, he scored three tries. This achievement matched a record set by other famous players.
Rugby World Cup Appearances
Nemani returned to play for Fiji in 2015. He played against the Māori All Blacks but got injured, which kept him out for six weeks. Despite this, he was still chosen for Fiji's 31-player squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
He played in a warm-up game against Canada. He didn't score a try but kicked 5 conversions and 4 penalties, showing his great kicking skills. On September 18, 2015, he scored a try against England in Fiji's first match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Nemani decided to stop playing international rugby a few months before the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He stayed with his club team, Montpellier, while the World Cup was happening.
Life After Playing Rugby
After the 2023 Super Rugby season ended, Nemani Nadolo decided not to sign another contract with the Waratahs. Since then, he has worked as an HR Manager. He also owned a Jim's Mowing business in Sydney and Melbourne. Currently, he works as a Business Development Manager and National Growth Manager. He also works as a commentator for the Fijian Drua rugby team.
See also
In Spanish: Nemani Nadolo para niños
