Samuela_Vunisa
Samuela Vunisa
Fijian-born Italian rugby union player
Samuela Vunisa (born 19 August 1988) is a Fijian-born Italian professional rugby union player who currently plays for Italian Serie A Elite team Petrarca Padova. Powerful and athletic, Vunisa is an option across the back-row due to the combination of his speed, ball-carrying ability, physical strength and ability at the breakdown.[1]
| Full name | Samuela Newa Vunisa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1988-08-19) 19 August 1988 (age 35) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Suva, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Wanganui Collegiate School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Amateur career
His career began in 2009, where he played for New Zealand side Taranaki in the first tier domestic competition in the country, the ITM Cup.
He went on loan in the 2011-12 rugby season to Rugby Calvisano in Italy, and impressed as his team won the top level domestic league and the Excellence Trophy.
In the Summer of 2012, he returned to Taranaki. However, after negotiations lasting several weeks, the coach of Rugby Calvisano, Andrea Cavinato, announced in an interview with newspaper Giornale di Brescia in July 2012 of having reached an agreement for the termination of Vunisa's contract with Taranaki, allowing him to return to Calvisano for the 2012–13 season.
Vunisa has been drafted to Marr in the Scottish Premiership for the 2017–18 season.[2]
Vunisa signed back with Rugby Calvisano for season 2018–19.[3] He played with Calvisano until 2022−2023 season.[4]
Professional career
In the summer of 2013 he was signed by Zebre, one of the two professional Italian clubs. Zebre played in the Pro12, a multi-national league.
He later signed for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership in England.
On 26 May 2017 it was announced that Vunisa would sign for the Glasgow Warriors. He signed a two-year deal until 2019.[5] He made 5 appearances for the Warriors scoring one try. He left the club at the end of the 2017–18 season.[6]
International career
He played underage rugby for both the Fijian National Under-19 and Under-20 teams.
He qualified for the Italy national rugby union team in Autumn 2014 under the IRB 3-year residency rule, and was called up into the squad for the 2014 Autumn Rugby Internationals, winning his first cap on 22 November 2014 against South Africa national rugby union team. Italy national rugby union team were in contention for most of the game but conceded two late tries to lose 22–6.[7]
- "BENVENUTO SAMU VUNISA". Petrarca Rugby. 29 July 2023.
- "GRAZIE RAGAZZI!". Calvisano Rugby. 2 June 2023.
- "Italy international Vunisa signs from Saracens until 2019 - Glasgow Warriors". www.glasgowwarriors.org.