Halani Aulika

Halani Aulika
Full name Halani Aulika
Date of birth August 31, 1983
Place of birth Angahaeua, Tonga
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 122 kg (19 st 3 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Prop
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2011-2012
2012-
Leeds
London Irish
8
50
(5)
(70)
correct as of 28 March 2015.
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2010–2011 Otago 15 (25)
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2011 Highlanders 1 (0)
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2011-2012 Tonga 8 (0)

Halani Aulika (born 31 August 1983) is a Tongan rugby union prop who currently plays provincial rugby for London Irish in the English Premiership.

Playing career

Provincial Rugby

Born in Tonga, Aulika emigrated to New Zealand in 2000 at the age of 17. After finishing school, he was a fixture in Auckland club rugby for several years but was unable to break into the Auckland provincial side. Short of opportunities in Auckland, he transferred to Otago for the 2010 ITM Cup. He now plays for London Irish, and they're currently playing in the Aviva Premiership

With Otago, Aulika was an instant success and one of the bright lights in a disappointing season for the province.

After serving a 3-match ban for an incident in club rugby, he quickly established himself as one of the side's starting props alongside former All Black Kees Meeuws. In 10 appearances, he scored a team-leading 5 tries and established himself as one of the best attacking props in the competition.

In the 2011 ITM Cup, Aulika appeared in the first 5 matches of the season for Otago before leaving to take up his international duties for Tonga ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Super Rugby

Following his successful season with Otago, Aulika earned himself a contract with the Highlanders for the 2011 Super Rugby season. Serving as a depth prop for the squad, he made his only appearance of the season as a substitute in the club's win over the Brumbies on 1 April.

Aviva Premiership

Halani Aulika signed a two-year contract with London Irish in March, 2012 and then later joined the club in July 2012.

External links