Rusiate Tuima is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a Lock or Back-row for Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs.

Early life

Born in

Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...

, Fiji, Tuima moved to England from Fiji as a child at the age of four.

Club career

Tuima made his Exeter Chiefs debut in the Premiership Rugby Cup against

Bath Rugby Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Founded in 1865 as Bath Football Club, since 1894 the club has played at the Recreation Ground in the c ...

at Sandy Park in 2019. He made his full Premiership Rugby debut coming off the bench against Wasps RFC at the Ricoh Arena in January 2021. In March 2024, he signed a new contract with the club until 2026.

International career

Although born in

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), 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 ...

, Tuima has represented England at youth level. In 2018 he competed for the England Under-18 side. Tuima scored a try for the England U20 team in a defeat to Wales during the

2019 Six Nations Under 20s Championship The 2019 Six Nations Under 20s Championship was the 12th series of the Six Nations Under 20s Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship. France were the defending champions. Ireland won the tournament and a Grand Slam, a ...

. Later that year he was a member of the squad that finished fifth at the

2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship The 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship was the twelfth edition of the premier age-grade competition for rugby. The tournament was held in Argentina for the second time, having been hosted there in 2010. Defending champions France won the un ...

. In February 2024 Tuima scored a try for England A in a victory over Portugal. In May 2024, he was called up by

Steve Borthwick Stephen William Borthwick (born 12 October 1979) is an English rugby union coach who played lock for Bath and Saracens. At International level, he represented the senior England rugby union team between 2001 and 2010 and captained them betwe ...

to a senior England team training squad. In May 2024 Tuima was called up to the senior England squad for a training camp.

Personal life

The nephew of

Fiji national rugby union team The Fiji national rugby union team represents Fiji in men's international rugby union competes every four years at the Rugby World Cup, and their best performances were the 1987 and 2007 tournaments when they defeated Argentina and Wales resp ...

player

Akapusi Qera Akapusi Qera (born 24 April 1984) is a Fijian professional rugby union player. A Flanker or No.8. He is married to wife Phillipha Talei and together they have four children. Qera is also from a Christian sporting family; his father was an inte ...

, Tuima's older sister,

Lagi Tuima Lagilagi Tuima (born 16 June 1998) is an English rugby union player. She represents England women's national rugby union team internationally and plays for Harlequins Women in the Premier 15s. International career Tuima made her debut as a re ...

, has represented England women's national rugby union team internationally and plays for

Harlequins Women Harlequins Women, formerly known as Harlequins Ladies, are a women's rugby union club based in Guildford, Surrey, England and in Twickenham, Middlesex, England. They were founded in 1995 as the women's team of Harlequin F.C. and rebranded in 2 ...

in the Premier 15s. Their brother Jeremy is also in the academy at Exeter. Their cousins include

and England international

Joe Cokanasiga Joe Cokanasiga (; born 15 November 1997) is a professional rugby union player for the England national rugby union team. He plays wing for Bath, having previously represented London Irish. He helped his former team win promotion from the RFU C ...

and his younger brother,

Phil Cokanasiga Phil Cokanasiga (born 31 July 2001) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ospreys. He previously played for London Irish and Leicester Tigers. Career In 2018 Cokanasiga played for En ...

, who played for London Irish.

References

2000 births Living people Exeter Chiefs players English rugby union players Rugby union locks I-Taukei Fijian people Fijian rugby union players Fijian emigrants to England English people of Fijian descent Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Naturalised rugby union players Rugby union players from Devon {{England-rugbyunion-bio-stub