Full name Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu
Born
October 31, 1980, Apia, Western Samoa
Current age 43 years 179 days
Major teams Bath Rugby, Gloucester Rugby, Samoa
Position Centre
Height
5 ft 10 in
Weight 231 lb
|
Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Won | Lost | Draw | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Tests | 2005-2011 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 47.82 |
IRB Rugby World Cup | 2007-2011 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.85 |
Test debut | Scotland v Samoa at Murrayfield, Nov 20, 2005 match details |
Last Test | Samoa v South Africa at North Shore City, Sep 30, 2011 match details |
Test Statsguru | Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list |
Team | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Won | Lost | Draw | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All matches | 2006-2012 | 87 | 71 | 16 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 41 | 5 | 50 |
Bath Rugby | 2006-2009 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 22 | 3 | 45.34 |
Gloucester Rugby | 2009-2012 | 44 | 41 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 19 | 2 | 54.54 |
A powerful midfield runner, Fuimaono-Sapolu made his international debut for Samoa in 2005 and paved the way for a move to the Premiership with Bath by impressing against Scotland and England.
At the 2007 Rugby World Cup he switched to the unfamiliar position of fly-half, playing three games and winning the Man of the Match award against the USA in a poor campaign for Samoa.
In 2009 he made the short move to Gloucester and marked his debut for the Cherry and Whites with a try against his former club, Bath.
In 2011 he was nominated for Rugby Players' Association Player of the Season after helping Gloucester into the play-offs. Prior to his move north, Fuimaono-Sapolu represented New Zealand Universities while studying in Auckland.
The centre was seleceted for Samoa's 2011 World Cup campaign but his tournament will be remembered for a succession of outbursts on Twitter in which he berated the scheduling and officiating of Samoa's pool games. Fuimaono-Sapolu went as far as accusing referee Nigel Owens of racism for his officiating of Samoa's clash with South Africa.
The Samoa centre was charged by the IRB but failed to turn up to the initial hearing. He ultimately received a six-month suspended sentence for his controversial comments.
Fuimaono-Sapolu was back in trouble soon after his return to English domestic action as he was hit with charges from the RFU concerning comments about Saracens' Owen Farrell, disciplinary procedures and IRB.
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