Kitiona Vai (born 23 April 2001) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the New Zealand national sevens team.
| Date of birth | 23 April 2001[1] | ||||||||||
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| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) [2] | ||||||||||
| Weight | 103 kg (227 lb; 16 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||
| School | De La Salle College, Auckland | ||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Melani Nanai (brother) Cody Vai (brother) | ||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||
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Career
editHe attended De La Salle College, Auckland. He played for Power in the 2020 Ignite Rugby Sevens league.[3][4] In May 2023, he joined the Southern Headliners in the Premier Rugby Sevens.[5]
International career
editHe was selected for the New Zealand national sevens team for the first time in 2020.[6] He made his debut during the Singapore Sevens in April 2022.[7][8]
In April 2024, he was selected for the New Zealand rugby sevens team alongside his brother Cody Vai, they are the sixth pair of brothers to play for New Zealand sevens side.[9]
Personal life
editHis father Kitiona Nanai Vai was a Western Samoa international who played in their 1991 Rugby Union World Cup team. He is the brother of rugby players Melani Nanai and Cody Vai. His sister Corina Nanai-Vai is also a rugby player and played in the Farah Palmer Cup for the Auckland Storm.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ "K. Vai". Its Rugby. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "K.Vai". Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Ratana, Liam (19 February 2020). "Six Ignite7 alumni named in national sevens squads". Redbull.com. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "TEAMS SELECTED FOR 2020 RED BULL IGNITE". Allblacks.com. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand Rugby Stars Sign with Premier Rugby Sevens for 2023 Season". prsevens.com. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Cama, Akuila (19 February 2020). "Six players with links to Fiji in NZ 7s Olympics extended squad". fbcnews. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "All Blacks Sevens primed for World Series return". Sunlive. 2 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Singapore Sevens: New Zealand debutants shine as unbeaten men cruise into quarterfinals". Stuff.co.nz. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Morton, Finn (26 April 2024). "Brothers to take on SVNS world as New Zealand squads named for Singapore". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "K. Vai". Allblacks.com. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Julian, Adam. "Cody Vai's journey to All Blacks Sevens debut at 18 to making the NZ U20 squad".