Mils Muliaina

Mils Muliaina
Muliaina in 2010
Full name Junior Malili Muliaina
Date of birth (1980-07-31) 31 July 1980
Place of birth Salesi, Western Samoa
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Weight 99 kilograms (15 st 8 lb)
School Kelston Boys' High School
Southland Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Current status
Position(s) Fullback
Current team Zebre
Playing career
Position Fullback
New Zealand No. 1033
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2011–13
2014–15
2015–
2016–		 Red Hurricanes
Connacht
Zebre
San Francisco		 19
11
6		 (20)
(0)
(5)
correct as of 18 February 2016.
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1999–05
2006–11		 Auckland
Waikato		 42
7		 (65)
(10)
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2003–11 New Zealand 100 (165)
correct as of 9 October 2011.
Sevens national teams
Years Club / team Comps
1999–02 New Zealand 11
Medal record
Representing  New Zealand
Men's Rugby
Commonwealth Games
2002 Manchester Rugby 7's

Junior Malili Muliaina (born 31 July 1980), better known as Mils Muliaina, is a professional rugby union player for San Francisco in the US PRO Rugby competition, he most recently played for Zebre in the Pro 12.[1] He plays primarily as a fullback, though he has also played as a centre and on the wing.

Born in Salesi, Samoa, Muliaina moved with his family to Invercargill, New Zealand, at the age of two. At international level Muliaina played for New Zealand from 2003 until his retirement from the side after the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Muliaina became only the second All Black to reach 100 caps during the World Cup quarter-final against Argentina in 2011. Muliaina scored 33 tries for his country and appears on the list of the highest try scorers in rugby union test history.

Early career

Starring in Southland age group representative teams he first attended Cargill High School then Southland Boys' High School, where he proved proficient enough at rugby to be offered a scholarship to Kelston Boys' High School in Auckland, in 1998. Subsequently, Muliaina played for the NZ Secondary Schools XV, the team winning that year's world championship. He repeated this the following year with the world champion Under 19 side, and in 2000 and 2001 was part of the world champion Under 21 (NZ Colt) teams of those years.

Super Rugby and the All Blacks

Muliaina joined the Auckland Blues in 2001 and was a part of the Super 12 title winning team for the Blues in 2003. Muliaina's test debut for the All Blacks was against England on 14 June 2003 at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. He was subsequently part of the All Black squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In 2004, he was the only player to be selected for every test played by the All Blacks. Muliaina has also played in 11 tournaments for the sevens team, including winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2002 in Manchester. Though he has expressed a preference for playing as an outside centre, Muliaina generally plays at fullback. In 2006 he joined the Chiefs, with whom he brought up his 100th Super Rugby cap in 2011.

On 9 October 2011 during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Muliaina played his 100th game for the All Blacks after starting at fullback against Argentina. During the game Muliaina was forced from the field at half time due to him injuring his shoulder. This was later revealed to have been fractured, meaning he was dropped from the New Zealand World Cup squad. Muliaina retired from the All Blacks squad the following day on 10 October 2011 after achieving his 100th Test cap and returned on 23 October 2011 to claim his gold medal after the All Blacks won the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final.

Europe

As of May 4, 2014, Mils has signed a one-year contract for Irish provincial region Connacht in the Pro 12.[2] On 21 November 2014, Muliaina made his Connacht debut in a 43-3 win over Italian side Zebre at the Sportgrounds.

United States

It was announced in March 2016 that Muliaina would play the upcoming season in the United States in the newly formed PRO Rugby competition. He will be joining the San Francisco PRO Rugby team midway through the 2016 season.

Achievements

References

  1. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/25/all-blacks-mils-muliaina-us-pro-rugby
  2. ↑ "Connacht sign All Black great Mils Muliaina". Sky Sports. 5 May 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.espnscrum.com/newzealand/rugby/player/14235.html
  4. ↑ http://www.espnscrum.com/newzealand/rugby/player/14235.html
  5. ↑ http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/2009-steinlager-rugby-awards-winners-3313635
  6. ↑ http://www.rugbydump.com/2010/11/1732/all-blacks-pushed-by-wales-but-end-with-another-grand-slam
  7. ↑ http://www.espnscrum.com/newzealand/rugby/player/14235.html

External links

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