Dimitri Pelo

Dimitri Pelo
Personal information
Nickname Poilu
Born (1985-04-17) 17 April 1985
Nouméa, New Caledonia
Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 89 kg (14 st 0 lb)
Playing information
Position wing, fullback, second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007–10 Catalans Dragons 88 38 0 0 152
2012 Canberra Raiders 5 0 0 0 0
Total 93 38 0 0 152
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2005–2008 France 2 0 0 0 0
As of 3 November 2009

Dimitri Pelo (born 17 April 1985 in Nouméa, New Caledonia) is a French professional rugby league player for Canberra Raiders in the NRL. He has previously played for Montpellier Herault RC after switching codes in 2010 and for the Catalans Dragons club of Europe's Super League competition. His usual position is wing, but he can also play at fullback.

Career

Pelo, born in New Caledonia (an overseas territory of France), emigrated to Australia with his parents while still in his adolescence, originally settling in the north-eastern state of Queensland. While living there, Pelo began playing junior rugby league, catching the eye of Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks scouts who signed him to the Sydney club for several years.

While at the Sharks Pelo went on to represent the Australian Schoolboys team for whom he scored two tries in a Test match defeat against the England Academy in 2002, but he could not make his way into the Sharks first-grade side, instead being relegated to the reserves and lower competitions.

During the 2005 season, Pelo was called up by French national team along with fellow clubman Daniel Dumas; during this time his contract with the Cronulla club expired and he left the club. Pelo then moved back to Queensland, originally signing a short-term deal with the Burleigh Bears club in the Queensland Cup in the hope of securing a longer-term deal with the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League (NRL).

During the end of the 2006 season, the Gold Coast club displayed interest in Pelo, selecting him in several early trial matches and a sevens competition but ultimately he was unsuccessful in securing any deal with the club so began to look abroad.

For the beginning of the 2007 season Pelo signed a deal with the French club Catalans Dragons.

He was named in the France training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[1]

He was named in the France squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[2]

He switched codes for the 2010/11 season, playing for Montpellier Hérault RC.[3]

In December 2011 he trialled with the Canberra Raiders with the hope of gaining a first-grade contract after the departure of Daniel Vidot to the St. George Illawarra Dragons.[4]

His trial successfully earned him a one-year contract with the Raiders. He made his debut in the Round 12 36–18 defeat by South Sydney Rabbitohs on 12 May 2012.

Career highlights

Career playing statistics

Point scoring summary

Games Tries Goals F/G Points
79 35 - - 140

Point scoring summary

Games Tries Goals F/G Points
9 5 - - 20

Matches played

Team Matches Years
Catalans Dragons 79 2007–2010

Matches played

Team Matches Years
Montpellier 9 2011

References

  1. ↑ "France dominated by Dragons". Sky Sports. 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  2. ↑ "France name official squad". RLWC2008. 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  3. ↑ "Pelo released by Dragons". Sky Sports. 2010-08-18.
  4. ↑ http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/raiders-raid-france-for-flying-new-winger/2396404.aspx

External links

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