Lima Sopoaga

Lima Sopoaga

Lima Sopoaga playing for the Highlanders
Full name	Lima Zachariah Sopoaga
Date of birth	(1991-02-03) 3 February 1991
Place of birth	Wellington, New Zealand
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	91 kg (14 st 5 lb)
School	Wellington College
Notable relative(s)	Tupou Sopoaga (Brother)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	First five-eighth
New Zealand No.	1145
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
2010-	Old Boys University
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2010–13 2014−	Wellington Southland	36 16	(359) (178)
correct as of 12 October 2015.
Super Rugby
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2011–	Highlanders	62	(581)
correct as of 28 May 2016.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2011 2015−	New Zealand U20 New Zealand	4 1	(15) (12)
correct as of 4 November 2012.

Lima Sopoaga (born 3 February 1991 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a professional rugby union player who represents the Southland Stags in the ITM Cup and the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.

Playing career

Early life

His family comes from Samoa and the Cook Islands. Sopoaga is the oldest among six siblings. His younger brother, Tupou Sopoaga, currently plays for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. In his high school days, Sopoaga attended Wellington College and won four local championships with the 1st XV. He captained the side in 2009 and was selected for the NZ Secondary Schools team.

Provincial Rugby

Wellington Lions

At the age of 19, Sopoaga played for Wellington in the 2010 ITM Cup, making his debut against Manawatu. His strong performances established himself as the squad's starting number 10. He finished the season with 88 points in 9 appearances to help Wellington to reach the semi-finals of the competition, where he scored 21 points. Wellington unfortunately fell to Canterbury who went on to win the competition..

Southland Stags

In late May 2014, Sopoaga announced that he will be joining the Southland Stags for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The transfer from the Wellington Lions to the Stags keeps Sopoaga in Highlanders territory. He will take the five-eighth starting position from Scott Eade with Eade moving to the half back position. Playing for Southland, Lima joins other current Highlanders such as John Hardie and Elliot Dixon.

Besides the signing of new head coach Brad Mooar from South African Super Rugby team the Southern Kings, Sopoaga is the first major signing of the 2014 ITM Cup season for the Southland Stags. He will play in integral role in a new and improved Stags back-line that boasts the talents of Willis Halaholo and Hurricanes player Cardiff Vaega in the mid-field, Scott Eade and Tayler Adams at halfback, and new 2014 prospects Jamie Verran and the Lolohea Loco in the outside backs. A traditional forwards focused Stags game-plan may be altered to incorporate the exciting potential of the young back-line grouping.

Sopoaga is excited by the move, as reported by Rugby Southland; “The opportunity came up and it is a good fit to stay in the Highlander franchise and represent the region in the Super 15 and ITM Cup. I’m really starting to feel at home in the south now and proud to be part of the region. The Stags boys in the Highlanders have nothing but good things to say about the Stags and the Southland province and I’m looking forward to getting to Southland and giving my all for my new team.”

Super Rugby

Sopoaga followed his former Wellington coach Jamie Joseph south, signing on with the Highlanders for the 2011 Super Rugby season. Expected to back up Colin Slade, he ended up starting the opening game of the season against the Hurricanes due to Slade being injured. He responded in fine fashion by scoring a try and kicking two penalties in a 14-9 victory. However, in his second start of the season he suffered a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the team until the late stages of the season. In 2015 he helped guide the Highlanders to their first super rugby title by defeating the 1st place Hurricanes 21-14.

External links

• Highlanders Profile