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Solomone Funaki
Full name'Api Kakalaia Solomone Funaki[a]
Date of birth (1994-04-25) 25 April 1994 (age 30)
Place of birthNukuʻalofa, Tonga
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb)
SchoolLiahona High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose forward
Current team Moana Pasifika
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018–2022 Hawke's Bay 24 (30)
2022–2024 Moana Pasifika 24 (35)
2024– Dragons 0 (0)
Correct as of 25 September 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 Tonga U20 4 (0)
2021– Tonga 15 (25)
Correct as of 17 September 2023

'Api Kakalaia Solomone Funaki (born 25 April 1994) is a Tongan rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Dragons RFC in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Challenge Cup.[1] He previously played for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby[2] and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.[3] He represents Tonga internationally.

Early life and career

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Funaki was born in Fanga 'o Pilolevu in Nuku'alofa, Tonga.[4]

In 2015, he moved to Auckland in New Zealand, where he played club rugby for Grammar TEC. That same year, he was named in the Auckland Colts squad.[5]

Due to visa problems, he had to go back to Tonga, but in 2016 he returned to New Zealand to play club rugby in Whakatāne for Paroa Sports Rugby Club in the Eastern Bay of Plenty competition.[4] In August 2016, he was named in the Bay of Plenty Development squad.[6]

In 2017, Funaki was named in the Bay of Plenty Wasps side to play the New Zealand Universities team in an Anzac Day match.[7] He also played a few preseason games for the Bay of Plenty Steamers, but wasn't named in the squad for the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season.[4] Later in the year, he was named in the Bay of Plenty Sevens team.[8]

Senior career

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Funaki moved to Hawke's Bay in 2018, where he played club rugby for Maori Agricultural College (MAC) Sports Association.[4] He was included in the Hawke's Bay squad for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season as a temporary injury replacement[9] and made his debut for the Magpies on Sunday 30 September 2018 against Canterbury.[10] It was his only Mitre 10 Cup game that year.

In 2019, he was named in the Magpies squad as a full squad member, but missed the entire 2019 Mitre 10 Cup season due to suffering two broken wrists.[11][12]

He was again part of the Hawke's Bay squad for the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup season[13] and earned his first start for the side on 15 November 2020 in an away game against Taranaki, in which he scored two tries and had a third controversially disallowed.[14][12] During that season, he helped the Magpies win the Ranfurly Shield,[15] successfully defend the Shield three times and win the Mitre 10 Cup Championship, thus securing a well-deserved promotion to the Premiership division.[16]

Although not named in the initial Highlanders squad for the 2021 Super Rugby season, Funaki joined the squad in May 2021 on an injury replacement contract.[17] He didn't get any game time for the Southern franchise.

After another successful 2021 Bunnings NPC season with Hawke's Bay that included 6 successful Ranfurly Shield defences,[18] Moana Pasifika announced on 16 October 2021 that the new franchise had signed Funaki for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[19] On 4 March 2022, Funaki wrote history by scoring Moana Pasifika's first ever try in their inaugural Super Rugby game against the Crusaders.[20]

On 30 April 2024, Dragons RFC announced the signing of Funaki on a long-term deal from the 2024–25 United Rugby Championship season.[1]

International career

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Funaki played for, and captained, the Tonga U20 team at the 2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Hong Kong.

On 13 May 2018, he played for Tonga A in a World Series Rugby match against Western Force in Perth.[4]

Funaki made his test debut for Tonga on 3 July 2021 against New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.[21] Unfortunately, he broke his hand in that match and was, therefore, not available for Tonga's remaining matches in July 2021.[22] On 27 May 2022, he was again named in the Tongan national team for the 2022 Pacific Nations Cup and the Asia/Pacific qualification match for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ also known as Api Funaki or Mone Funaki

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tonga star Funaki to join Dragons". Dragons RFC (Press release). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Moana Pasifika community celebrates historic first Super Rugby squad". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 22 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  3. ^ "2022 Magpies Squad". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Rugby: MAC loosie Solomone Funaki sets tongues wagging". Hawke's Bay Today. 23 June 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Auckland Colts 2015". Auckland Rugby. 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  6. ^ "BOP U19 and Development teams named". Bay of Plenty Times. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  7. ^ @BOPRugby (18 April 2017). "Bay of Plenty Rugby Union's Director of Rugby Clayton McMillan has announced their Bay of Plenty WASPS side to face the New Zealand Universities on ANZAC Day". Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via Instagram.
  8. ^ "Bay of Plenty sevens coach Paul Tietjens announces his new squad". Rotorua Daily Post. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  9. ^ "2018 Magpies Squad Announced". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 8 August 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Canterbury beat Hawke's Bay Magpies 49-42 in Christchurch". Hawke's Bay Today. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Magpies 2019 Mitre 10 Cup Squad Named". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 5 August 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Funaki gets Magpies No 7 jersey for semifinal". Hawke's Bay App. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Plenty of depth in Magpies Mitre 10 Cup rugby squad". Hawke's Bay App. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Magpies' Mitre 10 Cup semifinal: No raining on Solomone Funaki's parade". Hawke's Bay Today. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Ranfurly Shield roundabout continues". Provincial Rugby. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Magpies crowned kings of the Championship". Provincial Rugby. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Highlanders forced to fill injury gaps". Otago Daily Times. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  18. ^ "NPC: Hawke's Bay lock away Ranfurly Shield for summer after seeing off Waikato". Stuff NZ. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  19. ^ @MoanaPasifika_ (16 October 2021). "Mālō hoʻomo kau mai ongo tokoua! 'Ikale Tahi loose forward pairing Sione Tu'ipulotu (@AucklandRugby) & Solomone Funaki (@hbmagpies) bolster our forward pack for the 2022 @SuperRugby season" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 November 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Moana Pasifika make Crusaders fight for win in historic Super Rugby debut". Stuff NZ. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Tonga name side for All Blacks test". allblacks.com (Press release). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Tonga rugby team welcome reinforcements for Hamilton test". Radio New Zealand. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Our Ikale Tahi squad for the Pacific Nations & World Cup Qualifier 2022. Congratulations to all the players who have made the team". Tonga Rugby Union – via Facebook. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
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