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Vaea Anitoni

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Vaea Anitoni
Birth nameVaea Naufahu Anitoni
Date of birth (1970-09-20) 20 September 1970 (age 54)
Place of birthTongatapu, Tonga
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
San Mateo Rugby Club ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1990-1991 ʻEua[1] ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1990
1992–2000		 Tonga
United States		 1
46		 (0)
(130)
Correct as of 10 February 2014
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
United States

Vaea Naufahu Anitoni (born 20 September 1970) is an American former rugby union player who played wing. Anitoni is the all-time leading try scorer for the U.S. national team. Anitoni played for the United States national team from 1992 to 2000. During that period, Anitoni played in 46 matches, starting 44, and scored 26 tries, a record which still stands today.[2]

International career

[edit]

Anitoni made his debut 13 June 1992 against Canada, and scored his first try in his next match for the US on 21 May 1994 against Canada.[3] Anitoni's peak years for the national team were from 1996–1998, when he scored 22 tries in 28 matches.[3] Anitoni twice scored 4 tries in a single match – once against Japan in July 1996 and again against Portugal in April 1998.[3] Anitoni played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, where he started 3 matches,[4] and was regarded as a game breaker and a key player for the US national team.[5]

Anitoni also played sevens for the U.S. national sevens team. During the mid to late 1990s Anitoni was regarded as one of the most consistent players for the U.S., due to his ability as a creator with speed.[6] Anitoni was a member of the preliminary squad for the United States during the 2000 Rugby World Cup Sevens.[7]

Club rugby

[edit]

Anitoni played for the Pomona rugby club, San Francisco's Olympic Club, and the San Mateo club which claimed the national sevens championship in 1997.[8]

International tries

[edit]
Try Opposing team Venue Competition Date Result Score Ref.
1  Canada George Allen Field, Long Beach Test match 21 May 1994 Lost 10–15 [9]
2  Argentina George Allen Field, Long Beach 1995 Rugby World Cup Qualifier 28 May 1994 Lost 22–28 [10]
3  Ireland Lansdowne Road, Dublin Test match 5 November 1994 Lost 15–26 [11]
4  Canada Boxer Stadium, San Francisco 1996 Pacific Rim Championship 11 May 1996 Won 19–12 [12]
5  Canada Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver 1996 Pacific Rim Championship 18 May 1996 Lost 20–24 [13]
6  Japan Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo 1996 Pacific Rim Championship 16 June 1996 Lost 18–24 [14]
7
8  Hong Kong Boxer Stadium, San Francisco 1996 Pacific Rim Championship 29 June 1996 Won 42–23 [15]
9
10  Japan Boxer Stadium, San Francisco 1996 Pacific Rim Championship 6 July 1996 Won 74–5 [16]
11
12
13
14  Uruguay Fletcher's Fields, Markham 1996 Pan-American Championship 21 September 1996 Won 27–13 [17]
15  Japan Boxer Stadium, San Francisco 1997 Pacific Rim Championship 7 June 1997 Won 51–29 [18]
16  Wales Wilimington Test match 5 July 1997 Lost 20–30 [19]
17  Wales Boxer Stadium, San Francisco Test match 12 July 1997 Lost 23–28 [20]
18  Portugal Estádio Universitário de Lisboa, Lisbon Test match 8 April 1998 Won 61–5 [21]
19
20
21
22  Spain El Puerto de Santa María Test match 12 April 1998 Won 49–3 [22]
23
24  Hong Kong Aberdeen Stadium, Hong Kong 1998 Pacific Rim Championship 16 May 1998 Lost 25–43 [23]
25  Argentina Cricket and Rugby Club, Buenos Aires 1999 Rugby World Cup Qualifier 15 August 1998 Lost 24–52 [24]
26  Canada Stanley Park, Toronto 1999 Pacific Rim Championship 19 June 1999 Won 18–17 [25]

Honors

[edit]
Individual
  • US Rugby Hall of Fame[26]
  • US all time leading try scorer

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Photo of the Tonga 1991 squad on The Tonga Chronicle
  2. ^ "US Rugby Legend Ponders HOF, Tries Record". Flo rugby. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Vaea Anitoni - Test matches". ESPN scrum.
  4. ^ "Vaea Naufahu Anitoni". ESPN scrum.
  5. ^ "Key player: Vaea Anitoni". BBC News. 17 September 1999.
  6. ^ "Frederick Rugby Football Club, 1999 News Archives".
  7. ^ "USA Rugby, USA Names Preliminary Squad for RWC7s".
  8. ^ Kirsch, George B.; Harris, Othello; Nolte, Claire Elaine (1 January 2000). Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313299117.
  9. ^ "Canada Tour - Long Beach, 21 May 1994". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  10. ^ "1995 Rugby World Cup Qualifier, Americas, Round 2 - Long Beach, 28 May 1994". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  11. ^ "United States of America Tour - Lansdowne Road, 5 November 1994". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  12. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - San Francisco, 11 May 1996". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  13. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - Vancouver, 18 May 1996". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  14. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - Tokyo, 16 June 1996, 14:00 local, 05:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  15. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - San Francisco, 29 June 1996". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  16. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - San Francisco, 6 July 1996, 16:00 local, 23:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  17. ^ "Pan-American Championship - Markham, 21 September 1996". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  18. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - San Francisco, 7 June 1997, 13:00 local, 20:00 GMT". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  19. ^ "Wales Tour - Wilmington, 5 July 1997". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  20. ^ "Wales Tour - San Francisco, 12 July 1997". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  21. ^ "United States of America Tour - Lisbon, 8 April 1998". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  22. ^ "United States of America Tour - El Puerto de Santa Maria, 12 April 1998". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  23. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - Hong Kong, 16 May 1998". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  24. ^ "1999 Rugby World Cup Qualifier, Americas, Round 4 - Buenos Aires, 15 August 1998". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  25. ^ "Pacific Rim Championship - Toronto, 19 June 1999". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  26. ^ "Fairfield man first Polynesian native into US Rugby Hall of Fame". Daily Republic. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
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