Freddie Tuilagi

Freddie Tuilagi

Full name	Fereti Tuilagi
Date of birth	(1971-06-09) 9 June 1971
Place of birth	Apia, Samoa
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
Notable relative(s)	Anitelea Tuilagi (brother) Alesana Tuilagi (brother) Henry Tuilagi (brother) Sanele Vavae Tuilagi (brother) Manu Tuilagi (brother)
Rugby league career
Position	Three-quarter
Professional clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1995–1998 1999–2000	Halifax St. Helens	45	(84)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Centre
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2000–2004 2004–2005 2005–2006	Leicester Cardiff Castres	76 7 12	(75) (5) (0)
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1992–2002	Samoa	17	(10)
Official website
http://www.tuilagirugbyskills.com/

Fereti Tuilagi (born 9 June 1971) is a former Samoan rugby union Rugby player who previously played rugby league for Halifax Blue Sox and St. Helens. He played as a wing or centre and now is currently retired. His first name is often anglicised to Freddie.

Tuilagi is the oldest of seven brothers: Henry, Olotuli, Alesana, Anitelea, Vavae and Manu. All but Olotuli have played for Leicester Tigers, recently in a 2015 preseason friendly his son Fred Tuilagi also made an appearance for Leicester Tigers. Tuilagi currently coaches children at his own rugby skills course named 'Tuilagi Rugby Skills Courses'.

International career

Tuilagi was born 9 June 1971 in Apia, Samoa, and gained his first international experience playing for Samoa on the 1991 tour to New Zealand. He was also selected for Samoa’s 1991 Rugby World Cup squad but did not play in any of the matches.

Between 1992 and 1995 he toured with Samoa to Australia and South Africa, and was included in their 1995 Rugby World Cup squad. He played against South Africa in the quarter final.

Rugby league

After the 1995 world cup, Tuilagi turned professional for the Halifax Rugby League team, making 57 Super League appearances for them in two years, scoring an impressive 26 tries. In 1999 he joined St Helens. Tuilagi played for St Helens RLFC at second-row forward in their 1999 Super League Grand Final victory over Bradford Bulls. Having won the 1999 Championship, St Helens RLFC contested in the 2000 World Club Challenge against National Rugby League Premiers the Melbourne Storm, with Tuilagi playing from the interchange bench in the loss. He also played for St Helens from the interchange bench, scoring a try in their 2000 Super League Grand Final victory over Wigan Warriors. He'd made 35 appearances, scoring eleven tries.

Northern hemisphere rugby union

He left St. Helens in June 2000 and signed for Leicester Tigers, also making his return to the Samoa national side. He toured with them in the summer of 2002. He was also selected to tour New Zealand, but was prevented from doing so by an injury, which also denied him a place in national side's world cup squad. Tuilagi started the victorious 2002 Heineken Cup Final for Leicester. In the 2003–4 season his younger brother Henry also signed for Leicester, and his younger brother Alesana joined the following season. In 2004–5 season Tuilagi signed for Cardiff Blues. Unfortunately injury limited the number of times he was able to play for Cardiff and was released early In 2005–6 season Tuilagi played for Castres Olympique in the French Top 14.

Post playing career

Since retiring from playing, Tuilagi has acted as an agent for several players – mainly Samoans playing abroad through his company Global Bro Sports. Tuilagi also had a spell playing American Football for the Leicester Falcons during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

External links

• Leicester profile
• Saints Heritage Society profile
• Planet rugby stats
• Manu Samoa supporters website
• Pacific Islanders Rugby Teams supporters website