Esene Faimalo

Esene Faimalo (born 11 October 1966) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, who represented both Western Samoa and New Zealand at international level.

Esene Faimalo

Personal information
Born	(1966-10-11) 11 October 1966 (age 56)
Playing information
Position	Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 19??–87 Addington (CRL) 1988–?? Sydenham (CRL) 1990 Upper Hutt Tigers 1990–94 Widnes 111 11 0 0 44 1994–96 Leeds Rhinos 54 7 0 0 28 1997–99 Salford City Reds 2000 Widnes 5 0 0 0 0 Total 170 18 0 0 72 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1986–89 Canterbury South Island 1986 Western Samoa 1988–91 New Zealand 5 0 0 0 0 1990 Wellington 1991 Canterbury
Source: ^[1]

Playing career

In 1985 Faimalo came second in the New Zealand boxing Heavyweight tournament and also made the Junior Kiwis while playing for the Linwood club.^[2][3] Faimalo represented Western Samoa at the 1986 Pacific Cup.^[3]

A Canterbury representative from the Addington club,^[4] Faimalo also represented the New Zealand national rugby league team between 1988 and 1991, playing in five test matches. Faimalo spent 1989 with the Balmain Tigers as part of the New Zealand Rugby League's "Rookie Scheme".^[5]

In 1990 he moved to England, signing with the Widnes Vikings. He played for the club for four seasons, making 111 appearances and scoring 11 tries,^[6] before signing with the Leeds Rhinos in 1994, where he scored seven tries in 54 appearances.^[7] He joined the Salford City Reds during 1996's Super League I season, playing with the club for three years.^[8] He returned to Widnes in 2000, making a further five appearances before retiring.^[6][9]

In 2010 Faimalo entered the boxing ring in a charity bout to raise money for the Steve Prescott Foundation.^[2]

Genealogical information

Esene Faimalo is the brother of the rugby league footballer Joe Faimalo.^[9]

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. Scully slugs it out with Brian St Helens Star, 2 December 2010
3. Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987.
4. 1986 Lion Red Rugby League Annual, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1986. p.133
5. Lion Red 1989 Rugby League Annual New Zealand Rugby League, p.10
6. "Esene Faimalo". Widnes RLFC. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
7. . Leeds Rhinos. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
8. The Independent, 5 October 1996
9. "Statistics at rugby.widnes.tv". rugby.widnes.tv. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.