Vaea Anitoni

Vaea Anitoni
Full name Vaea Naufahu Anitoni
Date of birth (1970-09-20) September 20, 1970
Place of birth Tongatapu, Tonga
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Wing
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
San Mateo Rugby Club
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1990
1992–2000		  Tonga
 United States 		1
46		 (0)
(130) 26t
Sevens national teams
Years Club / team Comps
 United States

Vaea Naufahu Anitoni (born September 20, 1970) is a former American rugby player who played wing. Anitoni is the all time leading try scorer for the U.S. national team.

International career

Anitoni played for the United States national team from 1992 to 2000. During that period, Anitoni played in 46 matches, starting 44, and scored 26 tries, a record which still stands today. He made his debut June 13, 1992 against Canada, and scored his first try in his next match for the US on May 21, 1994 against Canada.[1] Anitoni's peak years for the national team were from 1996–1998, when he scored 22 tries in 28 matches.[2] Anitoni twice scored 4 tries in a single match - once against Japan in July 1996 and again against Portugal in April 1998.[3]

Anitoni played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup, where he started 3 matches,[4] and was regarded as a game breaker and a key player for the US national team.[5]

Anitoni also played sevens for the U.S. national sevens team. During the mid to late 1990s Anitoni was regarded as one of the most consistent players for the US, due to his ability as a creator with speed.[6] Anitoni was a member of the preliminary squad for the United States during the 2000 Rugby World Cup Sevens.[7]

Club rugby

Anitoni played for the Pomona rugby club, San Francisco's Olympic Club, and the San Mateo club which claimed the national sevens championship in 1997.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ ESPN Scrum, Vaea Anitoni, Test matches, http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/11210.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match
  2. ↑ ESPN Scrum, Vaea Anitoni, http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/11210.html?class=1;template=results;type=player
  3. ↑ ESPN Scrum, Vaea Anitoni, Test matches, http://www.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/11210.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match
  4. ↑ ESPN Scrum, Vaea Anitoni, http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/player/11210.html
  5. ↑ BBC News, Key player: Vaea Anitoni, Sep. 17, 1999, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/rugby_world_cup/teams/usa/449740.stm
  6. ↑ Frederick Rugby Football Club, 1999 News Archives, http://www.frederickrugby.org/archives/news_archive_1999.html
  7. ↑ USA Rugby, USA Names Preliminary Squad for RWC7s, http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=28
  8. ↑ Kirsch, George B.; Harris, Othello; Nolte, Claire Elaine (2000-01-01). Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313299117.
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