Samu Manoa

Samu Manoa

Manoa playing for Saints against Harlequins
Date of birth	(1985-03-05) 5 March 1985
Place of birth	Concord, California, USA
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight	122 kg (19 st 3 lb) [1]
Occupation(s)	Rugby union player
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Lock Number 8
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
2003-2010	San Francisco Golden Gate RFC
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2011-present	Northampton Saints	79	(60) 12t
correct as of 5 February 2014.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2010-present 2013	United States Barbarian F.C.	5 1	(5) 1t (0)
correct as of 8 December 2013.

Samu Manoa (born 1 October 1985 in Concord, California) is an American rugby union player who plays lock or back row for the Northampton Saints.

Early career

Manoa started playing rugby at 13 years old with his family.^[2] His coach throughout his early days was his uncle, Huufifale Manoa, himself a rugby star in his youth back in Tonga before emigrating to Hawaii. Manoa played for San Francisco Golden Gate RFC from 2003-2010. He helped SFGG win the U.S. Rugby Super League in 2009, crossing four times in the process. In his final game for the Golden Gate, Manoa again showed his nose for the tryline, opening the scoring as his side claimed the title once more. San Francisco Golden Gate were national runners up in 2010.

Internationals

United States national team

Manoa played six matches with the U.S. Select XV and the USA A sides from 2009 to 2010, including playing in the Americas Rugby Championship. He was called up to the U.S. national team for the 2010 end of year tests. He earned his US international debut with a start against Georgia in November 2010, and also started matches against Scotland A and Saracens. His 2011 contract with Northampton meant that he did not play for the USA in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Barbarians

On 1 June 2013 Manoa gained his first cap for the Barbar's playing against the Lions in Hong Kong.

English Premiership

In April 2011 Manoa signed for Aviva Premiership side Northampton Saints for the 2011-12 season. Northampton were impressed with his ball skills, pace and physicality.^[3] In autumn 2011 Manoa hit the ground running for the Saints with a series of powerful performances in the early rounds of Aviva Premiership Rugby and worked himself into Northampton's starting rotation. A series of outstanding performances earned man of the match awards in wins over Castres and Harlequins and the big second row fast became an integral part of the Saints squad. Over the course of the 2011-12 season, Manoa played in 18 Premiership games for the Saints, with 14 starts.^[4] Manoa was named by ESPN to the 2011-12 Premiershp "Dream Team."^[5]

On February 15, 2012 Manoa signed a 3-year contract extension with Northampton Saints. Manoa was honored with the Northampton Saints Supporter Player of the Year for the 2012-13 Premiership season.^[6]

Personal

Manoa is married to Lorraine Manoa [nee Tasini], and they have three children.

Samu Manoa's full name is Samuela Ikani Manoa. He is of Tongan descent, only child and is the eldest son, of Va`inga-`i-Moana Manoa and Patricia Dixon Mataele. Manoa's father was a star athlete at Santa Ana High School. Manoa's paternal grandfather and namesake, Samuela Mafana Ikani Manoa ("Mafana"), was a star rugby player from the village of Nukunuku in Tonga. Manoa's paternal grandmother, Kalolaine Tupou Veiongo Manoa [nee Aholelei] reared Manoa and took him as a toddler to Tonga, so his mother could continue with school. Manoa's father later remarried, and his stepmother, Ialaloa Simulata Manoa [nee Tangitau] of Vava`u [Neiafutahi and Ofu], took Manoa in as her own. Manoa has two siblings on his father's side, a brother Wesley, and a sister, Lilio Daphne. Manoa's grandfather captained the South Seas Islanders during the 60s, and his father was also an international.

Manoa has nine siblings on his mother's side: 6 brothers and 3 sisters. One of those siblings is Luke O' tutulupeatau Kaumatule, a highly recruited football star out of Punahou school [class of 2012], now attending Stanford University on a football scholarship. His uncle Sione Havea Vailahi (mother's brother) is the WWF/ WCW Barbarian from the Powers of Pain.

References

External links

• USA Rugby Profile
• Samu Manoa on ESPN Scrum.com