Martini Talapusi (born 9 April 1995) is a Samoan rugby union player.
| Date of birth | 9 April 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 216 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born in New Zealand, Talapusi was raised in the Samoan village of Malie and attended Robert Louis Stevenson High School, before finishing his schooling back in New Zealand at St Andrew's College, Christchurch.[1][2]
Talapusi, a utility back, captained Samoa at under-18s level. He has played most his rugby in the United States, like his younger brother Faitala, who represents the country in rugby sevens. In 2016, Talapusi played with the San Francisco Rush in the only edition of the PRO Rugby competition. He made the USA Select team for the 2017 World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge but since 2023 plays his international rugby for Samoa, making his debut in a win over Japan.[3] From 2020 to 2023, Talapusi competed for Rugby ATL in Major League Rugby.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Vaovasamanaia Names first Manu Samoa Squad for 2023 - Samoa Global News". Samoa Global News. 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Ruugby ATL Martini Talapusi 2023 Profile". djcoilrugby. 25 October 2022.
- ^ "Manu Samoa team named for Japan clash". Samoa Observer. 20 July 2023.
- ^ "One-year ATL extension for Martini Talapusi". Americas Rugby News. 19 August 2020.