Lui Naeata

Lui Naeata
Full nameTaumua Lui Sanft Naeata
Date of birth (1994-02-02) 2 February 1994 (age 30)
Place of birthTonga
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight118 kg (18 st 8 lb; 260 lb)
SchoolTonga College
UniversityRyutsu Keizai University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8, Flanker
Current team Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018–2021 Kobelco Steelers 25 (140)
2022 NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes 8 (20)
2022–2023 Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 7 (10)
Correct as of 7 November 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013 Tonga U20 3 (0)
Correct as of 7 November 2023

Lui Naeata (ナエアタ ルイ, Naeata Rui, born 2 February 1994 in Tonga) is a Japanese rugby union player, who most recently played as a flanker for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the Japan Rugby League One competition.[1]

Early life and career

Naeata was born in Tonga, where he received his secondary school education at Tonga College. He later moved to Japan where he attended Ryutsu Keizai University.[2] He played four seasons for the university in the All-Japan University Rugby Championship (2014–2017).[3]

Senior career

On 1 March 2018, Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers announced that the club had signed Naeata.[2] He made his debut for the Kobelco Steelers (via the bench) on 29 September 2018 against Munakata Sanix Blues. He scored his first try for the club in his second of only two games that season, on 20 October 2018 against NEC Green Rockets.[3]

Initially, Naeata played at lock for the club, but in 2020 he moved to number 8. One of his most remarkable games for Kobelco Steelers was a 97–0 thumping of NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes on 2 February 2020, in which he scored five tries.[4] He repeated that feat the following season, when he scored five tries in the Kobelco Steelers' 73–10 win over Canon Eagles.[5][1]

Naeata played four seasons for Kobelco Steelers, in which he played 25 games for the club and scored 28 tries.[3][1]

NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes announced on 2 June 2021 that the club had signed Naeata.[6] He played one season for the club, during which he played eight games and scored four tries.[1]

On 1 November 2022, 2nd division club Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi announced the signing of Naeata.[7] His time with the club was again short-lived. After Shuttles Aichi failed to earn promotion to the first division, the club announced the departure of Naeata on 30 June 2023.[8][9]

International

In 2013, Naeata represented Tonga at the 2013 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Chile. He played in Tonga's three pool matches, but missed their victorious fifth place play-off game against Portugal due to a suspension for a dangerous tackle.[10]

In 2020, Naeata obtained Japanese citizenship.[11] Having resided in Japan for over three years, he was eligible to represent his adopted country.

After playing four Top League seasons for Kobelco Steelers, Naeata was named in a 52-man Brave Blossoms training squad ahead of a test against the British and Irish Lions on 26 June 2021, but he didn't make the match day squad.[12][13]

On 11 June 2022, he played for the Tonga Samurai Fifteen – a team made up of Tongan players living in Japan –  against the Emerging Blossoms, a team consisting of players who are expected to represent Japan in the future. It was a charity match to support Tonga in the recovery from the devastating 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Lui Naeata Player Profile (2021–2023)". Japan Rugby. 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "2018年度　新加入選手のお知らせ" [Announcement of new players in 2018]. Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers (Press release) (in Japanese). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Taumua Naeata Player Profile (2014–2020)". Japan Rugby. 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. ^ "神鋼、ＴＬ史上最多得点差９７－０で圧勝！ナエアタ５Ｔ「日本代表になりたい」" [Kobelco wins an overwhelming victory with the highest point difference in TL history, 97-0! Naeata 5T “I want to represent Japan”]. Sanspo (in Japanese). 3 February 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Kobelco Steelers pulvérise Canon Eagles" [Kobelco Steelers pulverise Canon Eagles]. asierugby.com (in French). 28 February 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ^ "【リリース】 新入団選手・スタッフおよび退任スタッフのお知らせ" [[Release] Announcement of new players, staff and retiring staff]. NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes (Press release) (in Japanese). 2 June 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  7. ^ "新加入選手のお知らせ" [Announcement of new players]. Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi (Press release) (in Japanese). 1 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  8. ^ "退団選手、スタッフのお知らせ" [Notice of departing players and staff]. Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi (Press release) (in Japanese). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Aichi officialise les départs de Lucas Boylan et de Lui Naeata" [Aichi formalizes the departures of Lucas Boylan and Lui Naeata]. asierugby.com (in French). 30 June 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Two Tonga players suspended". IRB (Press release). 5 June 2013. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ^ "日本国籍取得のルイ・ナエアタが大暴れ　1トライ含む3トライに絡む" [Lui Naeata, a Japanese citizen, went on a rampage and was involved in three tries, scoring one]. Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Japan name 21 uncapped players in 52-man training squad ahead of British and Irish Lions test". RugbyPass. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Japan Team Announced for Historic British & Irish Lions Match". Japan Rugby (Press release). 24 June 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Japan Rugby Charity Match 2022｜Emerging Blossoms vs Tonga Samurai XV". Japan Rugby (Press release). 26 May 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2023.