Fehi Fineanganofo (born 31 August 2002) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing for Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Hurricanes in Super Rugby. He has also played for the New Zealand national sevens team.[1]
| Full name | Fatafehi F. Fineanganofo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 31 August 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb; 16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Auckland Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Early life
editAs a youngster, Fineanganofoa initially played rugby league. It was only when he attended Auckland Grammar School that he started playing rugby union.[2]
Senior career
editFineanganofo plays for Bay of Plenty in the National Provincial Championship. He was named in the Steamers' squad for the first time in 2023.[3]
In November 2024, he signed a two-year contract with the Hurricanes ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.[4]
International career
editIn 2020, Fineanganofo was invited to attend a Barbarians Under 18 Development Camp, at the end of which he was named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was only a paper team and it didn't play any games.[5][6]
Fineanganofo made his debut for the New Zealand national sevens team in Los Angeles in 2023.[7] He signed a full time contract with the team for the 2024 season.[8][9] Described as New Zealand's "breakthrough star" of 2024,[10] he played as New Zealand won the Singapore leg of the 2023–24 SVNS in May 2024.[11]
He was selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[12][13]
References
edit- ^ "Fehi Fineanganofo". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "All Blacks Sevens young guns make their mark". allblacks.com. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "Introducing the 2023 Steamers Squad". Bay of Plenty Rugby. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "All Blacks Sevens star signs with Super Rugby Pacific giants". RugbyPass. 6 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand Barbarian Under 18 squad announced". allblacks.com (Press release). 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "Secondary schools players recognised in representative team naming". allblacks.com (Press release). 19 October 2020. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ "All Blacks Sevens set for Los Angeles and Vancouver leg". allblacks.com. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Fehi Fineanganofo". olympic.org.nz. 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "New talent joins sevens squads in pinnacle year". allblacks.com. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ Lyall, Jamie (17 July 2024). "Paris Olympics: Men's rugby sevens team-by-team guide". RugbyPass. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "NZ men's and women's sevens do double in Singapore". rnz.co.nz. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Rugby Sevens teams named for Paris Olympics". nzrugby.co.nz. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Nine Olympic Debutants In Rugby Sevens Teams". Pacific Scoop. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
