Lolani Koko
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Lolani Koko (2 October 1963 – 18 June 2024) was a Samoan
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 ...
and
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative rugby union for
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...
and representative rugby league for
Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabit ...
, including at the
1995 Rugby League World Cup The 1995 Rugby League World Cup (also known as Halifax Centenary World Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh World Cup for mens national rugby league teams. It was held between 7–28 October and hosted by England and Wales and was wo ...
.


Rugby union career

Koko played for the
Samoa national rugby union team The Samoa national rugby union team represents Samoa in men's international rugby union competitions. They are governed by Samoa Rugby Union and also known as "Manu Samoa", which is thought to derive from the name of a Samoan warrior. They perf ...
, making his debut in 1983. He moved to New Zealand in the early 1990s, playing for
Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
. He was invited to trial for the
All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...
but decided to stick with his native Samoa. Koko scored 11 tries for Wellington in the 1992 NPC season. He was named the Man of Honour at the 1993
Hong Kong Sevens The Hong Kong Sevens ( zh, t=香港國際七人欖球賽, link=no) is a rugby sevens tournament held annually in Hong Kong on a weekend in late March or early April. Considered the premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series competiti ...
. Koko also spent time with the Boroondara Rugby Club in Australia.


Rugby league career

Koko switched to
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
at the start of the 1995 season. Koko joined the
Sydney City Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...
in the
Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission Limited (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League Limited known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australi ...
competition and led the
Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabit ...
team at the 1995 World Sevens. Koko also had a stint with the Narrandera Lizards in Group 20 Rugby League.Samoan's Ko-Kolossal pedigree
''Sydney Morning Herald'', 3 February 1995
He was part of the Western Samoa squad at the 1995 World Cup.


Personal life

Koko's brother
Kofe Koko Kofe may refer to * KOFE, an American radio station * Chorny Kofe, a Russian heavy metal band * Kofe Khauz, a chain of coffee shops in Russia and Ukraine * Simon Kofe, a Tuvaluan politician * Tevita Kofe Ngalu (born 1973), Tongan weightlifter ...
also represented Samoa in rugby union and his nephew Ali Koko also represented both Samoa and Wellington in rugby union. Koko died on 18 June 2024.


References


External links


Lolani Koko international stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koko, Lolani 1963 births 2024 deaths Samoan rugby league players Samoa national rugby league team players Samoan rugby union players Samoan expatriate rugby union players in New Zealand Samoa international rugby sevens players Dual-code rugby internationals Rugby league wingers Samoa international rugby union players Wellington rugby union players Rugby union centres