Pelu Taele

Pelu Taele
Full name Pelu Ian Taele-Pavihi
Date of birth (1981-09-28) 28 September 1981
Place of birth Dunedin, New Zealand
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 251 lb (114 kg)
Rugby union career
Current status
Position(s) Lock
Current team Biarritz Olympique
Playing career
Position Second Row
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006–2007
2007–2009
2009–2014
2014-
Leeds Tykes
Parma
Biarritz
Bayonne
12
39
111
17
(5)
(25)
(25)
(0)
correct as of 30 January 2015.
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2004–2006 Otago 2 (0)
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2005–2010  Samoa 8 (0)

Pelu Ian Taele-Pavihi (born 28 September 1981 in Dunedin), also known as Pelu Taele, is a New Zealand-born Samoan and Niue international rugby union footballer.[1] He is a 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 in) second row forward who joined Biarritz Olympique before the 2009–10 season.[2][3]

Club career

Taele played for the Highlanders development squad in 2004[4] and represented Otago in the National Provincial Championship. He signed for Saracens in July 2006, with the intention of joining up with the squad after completing the New Zealand season with Otago.[5] By the time he arrived in England, there was too much competition for his position at Saracens so he was loaned to Leeds Tykes.[6] His 13 appearances for Leeds helped them win the 2006–07 National Division One title.[7] Taele then spent two seasons with Overmach Parma, where he was part of the team that won the Coppa Italia in both 2008 and 2009.[8][9] Before the 2009–10 season Taele moved to Biarritz Olympique.[3]

International career

Taele gained selection for the Samoan national side by virtue of his performances with Otago.[7] He made his international debut against Tonga in July 2005 and was in the starting XV against England later the same year. He featured in the 2006 IRB Pacific 5 Nations squad with tests against the Junior All Blacks, Fiji, Tonga and Japan, and (as of November 2011) has eight caps in total.[10]

References

  1. http://members4.boardhost.com/niuerugby/msg/2687.html
  2. "Players & Officials / Pelu Taele-Pavihi". scrum.com. ESPN. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Index card of player Taele-Pavihi Pelu". It's Rugby. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  4. "Webb goes for Highlanders spot". scrum.com. ESPN. 28 January 2004. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  5. "Samoan adds weight to Saracens pack". Saracens F.C. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  6. "Pavihi joins Tykes on loan". Saracens F.C. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Leeds Carnegie Profile Pelu Taele". Leeds Carnegie. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  8. "Al Sergio Lanfranchi di Parma la finale di Coppa Italia 2008" [2008 Coppa Italia final from Parma's Sergio Lanfranchi Stadium] (in Italian). Lega Italiana Rugby d’Eccellenza. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  9. "Finale Coppa Italia 2009: La diretta Web testuale" [2008 Coppa Italia final: Live text] (in Italian). Lega Italiana Rugby d’Eccellenza. 25 March 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  10. "Statsguru / Player analysis / Pelu Taele-Pavihi / Test matches". scrum.com. ESPN. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
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