Viliami Ofahengaue

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Viliami Ofahengaue
Personal information
Date of birth	3 May 1968 (1968-05-03) (age 40)
Place of birth	Kolofoou, Tonga
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	125 kg (19 st 10 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	number eight, Flanker
Clubs		Caps	(points)
1991-1999	Waratahs	59	(?)

National team(s)
1990-1999	Australia	41	(55)

Viliami (William) 'Ofahengaue (born May 3, 1968 in Kolofoou, Tonga), widely known as Willie O, earned 41 caps for the Australian rugby union side from 1990 to 1998 and played in the World Cups of 1991 and 1995 as well as the World Cup Sevens in 1993.

Ofahengaue played for New Zealand Schoolboys in 1988 and participated in a tour to Australia. However, on the return trip, he was refused re-entry to New Zealand with his Tongan passport so he moved to Australia.

It was while playing for the Manly Rugby Union Club that he was selected for the NSW and Australia teams. He scored 11 Test tries for Australia from the back of the scrum before handing over the No.8 jersey to fellow Tongan Toutai Kefu at the end of 1998. He has the somewhat rare distinction of having beaten the All Blacks more times than losing to them.

After finishing his playing career in Australia, Ofahengaue worked as player/coach in Japan for the next five years, visiting Fiji in 2001 to lend assistance to Tonga’s Pacific Rim campaign. He became head coach of the 'Ikale Tahi in January 2004. He has also coached the Japaneses and Manly Club sides^[1].

Current Wallabies number eight Cliff Palu has mentioned Ofahengaue as someone he looked up to during his early career.^[2]