| Full name | Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 September 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Faleasiu, Samoa | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Weight | 14 st 11 lb (94 kg) | ||
| Notable relative(s) | David Tua | ||
| Occupation(s) | Runs "Tuigamala and Sons of Glendene" | ||
| Rugby league career | |||
| Position | Centre/Wing | ||
| Professional clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1993-1996 | Wigan | 98 | (244) |
| National teams | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1995 | Samoa | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Centre/Wing | ||
| New Zealand No. | 900 | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| Ponsonby | |||
| Professional / senior clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
1996-1997 |
Newcastle London Wasps |
13 |
(20) |
| Provincial/State sides | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1989-1993 | Auckland | ||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1996-2000 1989-1993 |
Samoa New Zealand |
23 19 |
(15) (21) |
Va'aiga Lealuga Tuigamala MNZM (born 4 September 1969, Faleasiu, Samoa) is a Samoan rugby footballer. As well as playing for the All Blacks, he represented Samoa in both rugby union and rugby league, playing at centre and wing. As an All Black, he was known as a powerful runner, physically much larger than most typical wings, and played in 19 tests (scoring 5 tries) and 20 non-international matches (scoring 9 tries). In rugby league, also playing as a centre, he became an integral part of the very successful 1990s' Wigan team.
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Tuigamala represented New Zealand in rugby union as a winger from 1989, playing his first test match against the USA in 1991, and becoming widely known as Inga the Winger before switching to rugby league with Wigan in 1993. Also, his biography Inga the Winger by Bob Howitt was published in 1993.
After the 1993–94 Rugby Football League season Tuigamala travelled with defending champions Wigan to Brisbane, playing from the interchange bench in their 1994 World Club Challenge victory over Australian premiers, the Brisbane Broncos. He also played international rugby league for Samoa, including at the 1995 World Cup.
When rugby union became openly professional in 1996, Tuigamala was one of a number of former rugby union players who returned from rugby league - he played for London Wasps, winning the English Premiership and later for Newcastle Falcons in a world record £1m deal. Inga scored a hat-trick on his third appearance for Newcastle against Moseley at Kingston Park and was an important part of the 1998 Championship-winning side. He then delayed an arm operation to put in a Man of the Match performance in the 2001 Cup Final. Upon signing for the Falcons, team-mate Doddie Weir called Tuigamala "simply the best rugby player in the world".
He made his debut for Western Samoa in 1996 against Ireland, going on to play 23 test matches, scoring 3 tries. He was an important part of the Samoa squad at the 1999 World Cup.
He has been known for his Christian faith, and in particular for the influence he had with future England rugby union captain Jason Robinson, a team-mate at Wigan. His contentment in life with God was something deeply moving for Robinson, and over their months of friendship, Tuigamala shared his Christian faith, though it wasn't until some time later that Robinson became a Christian.
Since the end of his rugby career, he has acted as advisor for his cousin David Tua, a professional heavyweight boxer, and currently runs a funeral director company, "Tuigamala and Sons of Glendene" for which the most notable client to date was the late King of Tonga, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV [1].
In 2008, Tuigamala was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby and the community in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.[1]
In October 2009 he travelled to Samoa with David Tua to see how they could assist in the aftermath of the Samoa tsunami.[2]
Ingas latest book is Inga: My Story and offers insight into his life on and off the field of rugby. It is a more comprehensive look at Ingas life. For more info visit http://www.ingathewinger.com/
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