Alex Ainley
Alex Ainley
| Full name |
Alexander Ainley |
| Date of birth |
(1981-07-16) 16 July 1981 |
| Place of birth |
Auckland, New Zealand |
| Height |
1.97 m (6 ft 5 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight |
108.5 kilograms (239 lb) |
| Rugby union career |
| Playing career |
| Position |
Lock |
| Professional / senior clubs |
| Years |
Club / team |
Caps |
(points) |
2007-09
2010-13 |
Crociati
Mitsubishi Dynaboars |
35 |
(0) |
| Provincial/State sides |
| Years |
Club / team |
Caps |
(points) |
| 2006–09, 2013− |
Tasman |
72 |
(25) |
| correct as of 16 October 2015. |
| Super Rugby |
| Years |
Club / team |
Caps |
(points) |
| 2015− |
Highlanders |
8 |
(5) |
| |
|
| correct as of 16 July 2012. |
Alex Ainley (born 16 July 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for Tasman in the ITM Cup[1][2][3] and the Highlanders in Super Rugby.[4]
Career
Ainley started out his rugby career in 2006 playing for the newly formed Tasman Makos in the ITM Cup. He played all 10 of Tasman's games in their debut season, featuring exclusively as a flanker. He went onto captain the Makos is 2007 before handing it over to Andrew Goodman the following season.[5]
From 2007 to 2009, Ainley spent his off-seasons playing in Europe for Crociati in Parma.[2] 2009 was to be his final campaign in his first spell with Tasman as he headed overseas to take up a contract with Japanese side, the Mitsubishi Dynaboars. e spent 3 seasons playing in the Japanese second division before heading home to New Zealand again in 2013. He was immediately named in the Makos squad for the 2013 ITM Cup and featured in 10 matches as they won promotion to the Premiership. Another impressive season followed in 2014 and to top it off he was handed a Super Rugby contract by the Highlanders at the age of 33.[4]
References