Sione Lauaki facts for kids
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| Birth name | Sione Tuitupu Lauaki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 June 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Haʻapai, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 12 February 2017 (aged 35) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (18.1 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Waitakere College Kelston Boys' High School |
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| Notable relative(s) | Epalahame Lauaki (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Professional rugby player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sione Tuitupu Lauaki (born June 22, 1981 – died February 12, 2017) was a talented rugby union player. He was born in Tonga and became a New Zealand national team player. Sione played for the famous All Blacks. He also played for the French club Bayonne.
Sione's brother, Epalahame Lauaki, also played professional rugby. He was a rugby league player for the Auckland Warriors. Sione Lauaki passed away in 2017.
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Sione Lauaki's Early Life
Sione Lauaki went to Waitakere College in Auckland, New Zealand. He played for the school's top rugby team in 1998. Later, he moved to Kelston Boys High School and continued to play rugby there.
He played club rugby for the Waitemata Rugby Football and Sports Club. In 2003, he helped his club win the Gallaher Shield. Sione was one of only a few players from the Waitemata club to become an All Black.
Playing Rugby Professionally
Playing for the Pacific Islanders
In 2004, Sione played for the Pacific Islanders rugby union team. This team is made up of top players from different Pacific Island nations. While playing for them, he scored tries against strong teams like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Sione was one of only two players from the Pacific Islanders team chosen to join the All Blacks. The other player was winger Sitiveni Sivivatu.
Joining the All Blacks
Sione Lauaki played as a loose forward for the All Blacks. He made his first appearance for the All Blacks in 2005 against Fiji.
His last game for New Zealand was in 2008 against Samoa. During his time with the All Blacks, he played 17 games and scored three tries.
Playing in Super Rugby
In Super Rugby, a major rugby competition, Sione played for the Chiefs. He played 70 games for the Chiefs and scored 14 tries.
After playing in New Zealand, Lauaki moved to France. He joined ASM Clermont Auvergne at the start of the 2010-11 Top 14 season. Later, he moved to another French club, Aviron Bayonnais.
In February 2012, Sione had some health tests. Doctors found he had kidney problems and heart issues. Because of this, he could not play rugby for the rest of that season.
Sione Lauaki's Passing
Sione Lauaki passed away on February 12, 2017, when he was 35 years old. He died due to complications from his heart and kidney problems.
More to Explore
In Spanish: Sione Lauaki para niños
