Manu Tuilagi

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Manu Tuilagi
Tuilagi representing England during the 2011 Rugby World Cup
Full nameEtuale Manusamoa Tuilagi
Date of birth (1991-05-18) 18 May 1991 (age 32)
Place of birthFogapoa, Samoa
Height1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight112 kg (247 lb; 17 st 9 lb)[1]
SchoolJohn Cleveland College
Notable relative(s)Anitelea Tuilagi (brother)
Alesana Tuilagi (brother)
Henry Tuilagi (brother)
Sanele Vavae Tuilagi (brother)
Freddie Tuilagi (brother)
Posolo Tuilagi (nephew)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Wing
Current team Sale Sharks
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009–2020 Leicester Tigers 128 (205)
2020– Sale Sharks 41 (20)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011 England Saxons 3 (5)
2011– England 60 (100)
2013 British & Irish Lions 1 (0)
Correct as of 28 August 2023

Etuale Manusamoa Tuilagi (born 18 May 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks. Born in Samoa, he represents England at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.[2][3][4][5]

Early life

Tuilagi was born on 18 May 1991 in Fogapoa, Samoa. He is the younger brother of Freddie, Henry, Alesana, Anitelea and Sanele Vavae Tuilagi, all of whom are Samoan internationals and also played for Leicester. He has another sibling, Julie, who is fa'afafine.[6] He was named Manusamoa, after the name of the Samoan national team, Manu Samoa, because his brother Freddie was selected for Samoa at the World Cup in 1991, the year Manu was born.[7]

He moved to the UK to join his brothers, and began playing youth rugby in 2004 with Rumney RFC while living in Cardiff, when his brother Freddie was playing for the Cardiff Blues. Aged 15, he moved back to Leicester, joining the Leicester Tigers academy.

In June 2010, Tuilagi faced possible deportation from the UK after it became known that he had entered the country on a holiday visa six years earlier and had stayed on illegally.[8] After an appeal, he was later granted indefinite leave to remain.[9] He and his brother Alesana are both Catholic.[10]

Club career

Leicester Tigers

Tuilagi represented Leicester in the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham in 2009.[11]

On 6 November 2009, Tuilagi played for Leicester Tigers against South Africa at Welford Road. Leicester won 22–17.[12]

He began his first season, 2010–11, with the senior Tigers side. Tigers Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill said that he expected Tuilagi to be a first-team regular and to play for England before long.[13] During this season he started the majority of games for Tigers and was called up for England Saxons duty. In Leicester's Premiership semi-final against Northampton Saints on 14 May 2011, Tuilagi received a yellow card for punching Chris Ashton. Tuilagi was later cited for this offence and given a 10-week ban, later reduced to five weeks.[14]

Tuilagi started the 2013 Premiership final and scored a try as Leicester defeated Northampton Saints.[15]

After injuring his hamstring in late 2014, Manu did not play for the Tigers again until January 2016,[16] making his comeback off the bench in the 30–27 East Midlands derby win over Northampton Saints. He played for the rest of the 2015/16 season. However, his injury problems continued and he was sidelined for most of the 2016/17 season with knee problems, making his comeback in the first game of the 2017/18, only to suffer a new injury to his other knee. In a bid to cure his injury problems Tuilagi visited a Samoan witch doctor in November 2017, the witch doctor claimed to have found three spirits had married Tuilagi and were causing the injuries, and massaged Tuilagi for two hours a day for four days to block the spirits.[17][18][19] On 10 July 2020, Tuilagi left Leicester Tigers after failing to agree a reduced wage package, amid the financial challenges caused to the club by the coronavirus pandemic.[20]

Sale Sharks

On 13 July 2020, Tuilagi agreed to join Sale Sharks on a one-year deal until the end of the 2020–21 season.[21] He has since extended his contract for a further two seasons.[22]

Bayonne

On 19 March 2024, Tuilagi agreed to join Top 14 club Bayonne on a two-year deal until the end of the 2025–26 season.[23]

International career

Tuilagi said he would prefer to play internationally for England, where he had grown up and played all of his rugby. He was selected to start the England Saxons game against Italy 'A' in January 2011,[24] scoring a second-half try in a match which England won 45–17.[25] In June 2011 he was named in England's training squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

In addition, Tuilagi has been involved with the England Sevens squad. In May 2010 he played for an England seven which won the London Floodlit Sevens, playing under the name 'Dig Deep England'.

On 6 August 2011, he made his England début in the World Cup warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham.[26] As one of the starting XV, he scored a try in the 44th minute underneath the posts after an inside pass from Jonny Wilkinson. He then played in the third warm-up game, a victory over Ireland, and scored again. He was a regular starter during the World Cup. One of his strongest international performances came in the final match of the 2012 Autumn internationals, against the World Cup winners New Zealand at Twickenham. England won 38–21 – their largest ever winning margin over the All Blacks. Tuilagi featured in all three of England's tries.

Tuilagi was named in the Lions squad for their 2013 tour to Australia.[27] He played against Western Force, Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels, and also played in the third test against the Wallabies, when he came on as a substitute in the 69th minute.

Tuilagi returned to the England squad in March 2016 for the 2016 Six Nations Championship after not playing for the national side due to injury and disciplinary reasons since June 2014.[28] He was ruled out of England's tour of Australia due to an injury suffered in a Premiership semifinal loss against Saracens.[29]

Tuilagi returned to the England team in 2018 and came off the bench in a 37–18 win against Australia to win his 28th cap.

After a string of strong performances for club team Leicester Tigers, Tuilagi was included in the England squad for the 2019 Six Nations that ultimately finished in 2nd place, runners up to Grand Slam winners Wales.

Tuilagi was named in the England squad for the 2022 autumn internationals, and played in all 4 games winning his 50th cap in a 27–13 loss to South Africa.[30] He was selected for the 2023 Rugby World Cup playing In every game apart from Englands victory over Chile; in this campaign he scored a try against Fiji in the quarter final.

Following the 2024 Six Nations Championship, where Tuilagi helped England finish third he signed for Bayonne. Under the RFU's current international selection policy, this would make him ineligible to represent England again and likely brings his international career to an end.[31]

Disciplinary issues

Tuilagi has been involved in a number of incidents that have affected his playing career.[32] In 2011, he was banned for five weeks for repeatedly punching Chris Ashton in the Premiership semi-final between Leicester and Northampton.

During the 2011 World Cup, he was fined £4,800 after wearing a sponsored mouthguard, breaking the tournament's rules. In the aftermath of England's exit from the World Cup after losing to France, he was arrested by New Zealand police for jumping into Auckland harbour from a ferry, and was subsequently fined £3,000 by the RFU.[33]

In September 2013, he issued an apology to Prime Minister David Cameron after making a "bunny ears" sign behind his back during a visit by the Lions squad to Downing Street.[34]

In May 2015, Tuilagi was convicted of assaulting two female police officers and a taxi driver, and fined £6,205. England coach Stuart Lancaster subsequently announced that Tuilagi would not be considered for selection until January 2016, thus missing the 2015 World Cup.[35]

In August 2017, after rejoining the England squad after a series of injuries, he returned to the team hotel drunk with teammate Denny Solomona, and they were sent home by coach Eddie Jones.[36] Tuilagi was not selected in England's initial squad for the 2018 Six Nations.

In March 2020, Tuilagi was sent off in a Six Nations Championship match against Wales at Twickenham, which England won 33–30, after it was deemed by the Referee, Ben O'Keefe of New Zealand, that he had committed a no-arms tackle on the Welsh winger, George North.[37] A disciplinary panel subsequently banned Tuilagi from playing for four weeks, but he did not subsequently miss any games, owing to the coronavirus lockdown.[38]

On 18 February 2023, Tuilagi was red carded while playing for Sale Sharks against Northampton Saints in a Premiership Rugby match. In the 13th minute he was judged to have used his non-ball carrying elbow to target the throat of opposition player Tommy Freeman.[39] He subsequently received a four week ban.[40]

Career statistics

List of international tries

As of 21 October 2023[41]
Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1  Wales London, England Twickenham Stadium 2011 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up 6 August 2011 Win 23 – 19
2  Ireland Dublin, Ireland Aviva Stadium 2011 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up 27 August 2011 Win 20 – 9
3  Georgia Dunedin, New Zealand Forsyth Barr Stadium 2011 Rugby World Cup 18 September 2011 Win 41 – 10
4  Romania Dunedin, New Zealand Forsyth Barr Stadium 2011 Rugby World Cup 24 September 2011 Win 67 – 3
5  France Paris, France Stade de France 2012 Six Nations 11 March 2012 Win 24 – 22
6  Fiji London, England Twickenham Stadium 2012 Autumn Internationals 10 November 2012 Win 54 – 12
7
8  Australia London, England Twickenham Stadium 2012 Autumn Internationals 17 November 2012 Loss 14 – 20
9  New Zealand London, England Twickenham Stadium 2012 Autumn Internationals 1 December 2012 Win 38 – 21
10  France London, England Twickenham Stadium 2013 Six Nations 23 February 2013 Win 23 – 13
11  Italy Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico 2014 Six Nations 15 March 2014 Win 52 – 11
12  Italy London, England Twickenham Stadium 2019 Six Nations 9 March 2019 Win 57 – 14
13
14  Ireland London, England Twickenham Stadium 2019 Rugby World Cup Warm-Up 24 August 2019 Win 57 – 15
15  Tonga Sapporo, Japan Sapporo Dome 2019 Rugby World Cup 22 September 2019 Win 35 – 3
16
17  New Zealand Yokohama, Japan International stadium 2019 Rugby World Cup 26 October 2019 Win 19 – 7
18  Wales London, England Twickenham Stadium 2020 Six Nations 7 March 2020 Win 33 – 30
19  South Africa London, England Twickenham Stadium 2021 Autumn Internationals 20 November 2021 Win 27 – 26
20  Fiji Marseille, France Stade de Marseille 2023 Rugby World Cup 15 October 2023 Win 30 – 24

Honours

Leicester Tigers
Sale Sharks
England
British & Irish Lions

References

  1. ^ a b "Manu Tuilagi player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Manu Tuilagi ESPN profile". ESPN. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  3. ^ "RFU". Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Manu Tuilagi (Centre) – Leicester Tigers". Leicester Tigers.
  5. ^ McRae, Donald (2 April 2014). "Manu Tuilagi: as long as I'm in the England team I don't mind where I play". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  6. ^ McRae, Donald (18 December 2012). "Manu Tuilagi at home in England after finally brushing off the mishaps". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  7. ^ Mark Bailey (25 January 2013). "Manu Tuilagi, England rugby's wrecking ball". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Leicester Tigers player is refused leave to stay in the UK". Leicester Mercury. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Rising star at Leicester Tigers wins fight against deportation". Leicester Mercury. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  10. ^ Mick Cleary (8 April 2011). "Leicester powerhouse Manu Tuilagi beat deportation threat so Leinster's Brian O'Driscoll holds no fear". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  11. ^ "Guinness Premiership clubs gather for Middlesex 7s". Premiership Rugby. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  12. ^ Hands, David (7 November 2009). "South Africans forced to bow to Leicester's youth rally". London: Times Online. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  13. ^ "Manu Tuilagi backed to play for England at next World Cup". Leicester Mercury. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  14. ^ "Leicester's Manu Tuilagi cited for punches on Ashton". BBC News. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  15. ^ "Aviva Premiership final: Leicester 37–17 Northampton". BBC Sport. 25 May 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Manu Tuilagi poised for England return after making Leicester comeback". The Guardian. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  17. ^ "A witchdoctor found three lady spirits who had married onto me". The Times. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Witch-doctor has banished my injury curse, says Manu Tuilagi". The Guardian. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Manu Tuilagi: 'I saw a witchdoctor to fix the injuries hospitals cannot cure'". The Daily Telegraph. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Manu Tuilagi leaves Leicester Tigers amid wage cuts". Sky Sports. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Sale Sharks sign Manu Tuilagi". Sale Sharks. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Manu Tuilagi signs contract extension with Sale Sharks". Sale Sharks. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  23. ^ "Manu Tuilagi: England centre leaving Sale Sharks to join Bayonne at end of season". BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  24. ^ Gallagher, Brendan (27 January 2011). "Samoan-born Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi to make England Saxons debut against Italy A". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  25. ^ "England Saxons 45 Italy A 17". Sportinglife.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  26. ^ "Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi to make England debut". BBC News. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  27. ^ Paul Rees (30 April 2013). "Jonny Wilkinson turned down Lions chance, says Warren Gatland". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  28. ^ "Six Nations 2016: Manu Tuilagi in England squad for Wales game". BBC Sport. 29 February 2016.
  29. ^ "Manu Tuilagi out of England's tour to Australia".
  30. ^ "England: Manu Tuilagi wins 50th cap as Mako Vunipola, Tommy Freeman and Alex Coles handed starts against South Africa".
  31. ^ "Manu Tuilagi: England centre leaving Sale Sharks to join Bayonne at end of season". BBC. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  32. ^ Crime & punishment: Manu Tuilagi adds to lengthy rap sheet
  33. ^ "England fine Manu Tuilagi for ferry jump". BBC News. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  34. ^ Mairs, Gavin (17 September 2013). "Manu Tuilagi forced to apologise for playing prank on Prime Minister David Cameron in No 10 visit". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  35. ^ Kitson, Robert (15 May 2015). "England's Manu Tuilagi to miss Rugby World Cup after assaulting police officer". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  36. ^ Manu Tuilagi's England return in doubt after drunken night out at camp
  37. ^ Fordyce, Tom (7 March 2020). "Six Nations: England beat Wales 33–30 despite Manu Tuilagi red card". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  38. ^ "Joe Marler: England prop banned for 10 weeks for genital grab". BBC Sport. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  39. ^ Dymock, Alan (18 February 2023). "Manu Tuilagi red card after 13 minutes". Rugby World. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  40. ^ Heagney, Liam (21 February 2023). "Out-of-favour England midfielder Manu Tuilagi banned for red card". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  41. ^ "Manu Tuilagi". 20 November 2021.

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