Lolagi Visinia

Lolagi Visinia
Date of birth (1993-01-17) 17 January 1993 (age 31)
Place of birthAuckland, New Zealand
Height194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight99 kg (218 lb; 15 st 8 lb)
SchoolKelston Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, fullback
Current team Auckland
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2016, 2024 Auckland 44 (83)
2013–2016 Blues 33 (42)
2017–2019 Grenoble 40 (85)
2019–2020 NEC Green Rockets 10 (15)
2020–2023 Hawke's Bay 37 (75)
2021 Hurricanes 1 (0)
2022– Moana Pasifika 5 (0)
Correct as of 6 November 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013 New Zealand U20 4 (20)
2022 Samoa 3 (0)
Correct as of 16 July 2022
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2012 New Zealand 2
Correct as of 20 June 2021

Lolagi Visinia (born 17 January 1993) is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing or fullback for Auckland in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.[1] He was born and raised in New Zealand, but has represented both New Zealand (in sevens) and Manu Samoa internationally.

Early career

Visinia attended Kelston Boys' High School, where he turned out for the school's first XV. Although Kelston Boys 1st XV didn't win the Auckland competition in 2011, Visinia helped his team win their first National Top 4 title in 12 years. He scored a try in the 24 – 14 win over Wesley College in the Final.[2] Later that year, Visinia also played for the Kelston Boys' sevens team that won the Condor Sevens, an annual Secondary School Sevens tournament in New Zealand.[3]

During his time at Kelston Boys', Visinia represented Auckland and the Blues at age grade level, both in the 15-a-side game and in sevens.[4][5][6]

Senior career

On 14 August 2012, at the age of 19, Visinia was named in the Auckland ITM Cup squad, for the first time.[7] He made his provincial debut – off the bench – on 2 September 2012 against Manawatu[8] and his starting debut on 7 October 2012 against North Harbour.[9] He scored his first try for Auckland on 27 October 2012 against Canterbury in the 2011 ITM Cup Premiership Final that Auckland lost 18 – 31.[10]

While not named in the Blues squad for the 2013 Super Rugby season,[11] Visinia – as a member of the Blues wider training group – made his Super Rugby debut on 13 July 2013 against the Chiefs.[12] It was his only Super Rugby game that season, but he was named in the Blues squad for 2014.[13] He scored his first try for the Blues on 25 April 2014 against the Waratahs.[14]

Visinia spent four seasons at the Blues, before signing with French club Grenoble in November 2016.[15] At the end of the 2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season, his first with the club, Grenoble secured promotion to the Top 14 after winning a promotion/relegation match 47–22 against Oyonnax. Visinia scored two tries in that game.[16] However, after the 2018–19 Top 14 season, Grenoble was relegated back to the Pro D2 after losing a promotion/relegation match 22 -28 against Brive.[17] It turned out to be Visinia's last season with the club.

On 3 June 2019, Japanese club NEC Green Rockets announced the signing of Visinia.[18] He made his debut for the club on 22 June 2019 against Mazda Blue Zoomers, scoring 2 tries on debut.[19] He played a total of 10 games (scoring 5 tries) for the Green Rockets; five games for the 2019 Top League Cup and five Top League games. The 2020 Top League season was cancelled after round 6 due to the COVID-19 pandemic[20] and Visinia returned to New Zealand.

In July 2020, it was announced that Visinia would join Hawke's Bay for the Mitre 10 Cup.[21] He made his debut for the Magpies – off the bench – against Southland on 13 September 2020. A week later he was named in the starting line-up against Counties Manukau and scored his first try for the Magpies in that game.[22] He went on to play 11 games – in which he scored 5 tries – in his first season for Hawke's Bay, helping the Magpies win the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup Championship title and the Ranfurly Shield.[23] At the end of the season, he was named the Magpies' Rookie of the Year.[24]

On 2 December 2020, Visinia was named in the Hurricanes squad for the 2021 Super Rugby season.[25] He made his debut for the franchise on 21 May 2021 against the Rebels,[26] in what turned out to be the only game he played for the Hurricanes.

On 26 October 2021, Moana Pasifika announced that it had signed Visinia for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[27] On 29 March 2022, he made his debut for the new franchise – via the bench – in their home game against the Blues.[28] His first start for Moana Pasifika followed on 12 April 2022 against the Hurricanes.[29]

In 2024, after four seasons playing for Hawke's Bay, Visinia returned to where it all began. On 29 July 2024, he was named in the Auckland squad for the 2024 NPC season.[1]

International career

After a successful 1st XV season with Kelston Boys' High School, Visinia was named in the 2011 New Zealand Secondary Schools team that played matches against Australian Schools and Australian Schools 'A'.[30]

Fresh out of school, at the age of 19, he was part of the 2012 New Zealand Sevens squad. He played in the Hong Kong and Japan rounds of the 2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series.[31][32]

A year later, Visinia was named in the New Zealand Under-20 squad for the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship. He played in 4 games and scored 4 tries during the tournament.[33]

As a result of a change in international eligibility rules – adopted by World Rugby on 24 November 2021 – which allows captured players to change to a new country once, provided they or their (grand)parents were born in the new country, Visinia – who is of Samoan descent – was able to play for Manu Samoa despite having represented New Zealand in sevens.[34] On 2 June 2022, he was named in the Manu Samoa squad for the first time.[35] He made his international debut for Samoa on 2 July 2022 against Australia A in their first game of the 2022 Pacific Nations Cup, which they won 31–26.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Auckland Rugby names the 2024 NPC squad with a novel 'reverse jersey presentation'". Auckland Rugby (Press release). 29 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Disciplined rugby sees Kelston home". Stuff NZ. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  3. ^ "College sport: Kelston finish of stellar year with sevens win". The New Zealand Herald. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ^ "2011 Auckland U18 A team". Auckland Rugby. 2012. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Blues Under-18 team named". Voxy.co.nz. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ "2012 Auckland Sevens squad". Auckland Rugby. 14 August 2012. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  7. ^ "2012 Auckland ITM Cup squad named". Auckland Rugby. 14 August 2012. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Preview: Auckland v Manawatu". ITM Cup. 1 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Brotherly love of rugby big boost for Auckland". Sunday News. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Canterbury make it five in a row". ITM Cup. 27 October 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Blues squad announced for 2013". Blues (Press release). 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Match centre: Blues v Chiefs". SANZAAR. 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  13. ^ "2014 Blues squad named". Blues (Press release). 30 October 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Match centre: Blues v Waratahs". SANZAAR. 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Lolagi Visinia s'est engagé pour deux saisons avec le FCG". FC Grenoble (in French). 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Grenoble remporte le match d'accession contre Oyonnax et revient dans l'élite". Rugbyrama (in French). 12 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Brive back in Top14". Rugby 365. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  18. ^ "NECラグビーフットボール部 2019年度新加入選手・スタフのお知らせ(追加)" (Press release) (in Japanese). 3 June 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Lolagi Visinia Top League player profile". Top League. 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Japan Rugby Top League 2020 Notice of Cancellation". Japan Rugby Top League (Press release). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Club rugby: New signing lends muscle to Magpies backline". Hawke's Bay Today. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Visinia earns starting role for Magpies against Steelers". Hawke's Bay App. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  23. ^ "Magpies crowned kings of the Championship". New Zealand Rugby. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Flanders named player of the year as four other Magpies make Māori All Blacks". Hawke's Bay Today. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Hurricanes 2021 squad announced". Hurricanes (Press release). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Laumape returns to Hurricanes squad to face Rebels". Hurricanes (Press release). 19 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  27. ^ @MoanaPasifika_ (26 October 2021). "YOU ASKED, WE LISTENED! AFIO MAI LOLAGO & DANNY!" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 October 2021 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ "Moana Pasifika team named for home game against Blues". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 28 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  29. ^ "Moana Pasifika team named for Hurricanes". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  30. ^ "NZ Schools selection to play Australia named". allblacks.com (Press release). 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 4 August 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  31. ^ "Four new faces for NZ Sevens as Gear wings in". World Rugby. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  32. ^ "One new cap for Tietjens' NZ sevens squad". Stuff NZ. 17 March 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  33. ^ "NZU20 squad named for IRB World Champs in France". allblacks.com (Press release). 24 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  34. ^ "World Rugby approves birthright amendment for players to transfer unions". World Rugby. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  35. ^ Manu Samoa [@manusamoa] (2 June 2022). "Manu Samoa Head Coach, Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua announces his squad for the up-coming Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) 2022 in July to be held in Fiji" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ Manu Samoa [@manusamoa] (30 June 2022). "Team Naming: Your Manu Samoa vs Australia A" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 July 2022 – via Twitter.