Salesi Halaleva Lapota Fifita (born 29 July 1989) is a Tongan professional

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who plays as a

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

for

Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the National Rugby League (France), France National Rugby League, also ...

club

Oyonnax Rugby Oyonnax Rugby () is a French professional rugby union club based in Oyonnax and competing in the Pro D2. Founded in 1949 and located in the Ain montainous department, the club plays its home matches at the 11,400-capacity Stade Charles-Mathon, ...

and the Tonga national team.

Professional career

Club

Fifita started his professional career in 2016 playing for

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

, having previously played for Hamilton Old Boys. In February 2017 he trained with the Chiefs development squad, but not play any of the three friendly matches scheduled for the team. In December 2017 he joined

Rugby Pro D2 The Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was introduced in 2000. It ...

team

FC Grenoble The Football Club de Grenoble Rugby (FCG) is a French rugby union club based in Grenoble and founded in 1892. FCG was champion of France in 1953–54 French Rugby Union Championship, 1954 and runner-up in 1992–93 French Rugby Union Championshi ...

as a replacement for Mickaël Capelli. In March 2018 he extended his contract until June 2019. He later extended his contract for three more seasons. In June 2021 he activated his departure clause early, leaving Grenoble and signing with Irish team

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

. He made his debut for the club in September 2021. He joins

in August 2023.

International

He made his international debut for Tonga against

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

on 16 June 2017. He was also part of the Tongan team which emerged as runners-up to

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

at the 2017 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup. He was included in the Tongan squad for the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...

in Japan. He played four games in this competition, against England, Argentina, France and the United States. He was selected again to play against Scotland in Tonga's 2021 tour of the northern hemisphere.

References

External links

* 1989 births Living people Waikato rugby union players FC Grenoble Rugby players Connacht Rugby players Tongan rugby union players Tonga international rugby union players Rugby union locks 2019 Rugby World Cup players 2023 Rugby World Cup players Tongan expatriate rugby union players in France {{Tonga-rugbyunion-bio-stub