Toʻo Vaega

Toʻo Vaega

Birth name	Toʻo Malo Vaega
Date of birth	(1965-08-17) 17 August 1965
Place of birth	Motoʻotua, Samoa
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)
Notable relative(s)	Cardiff Vaega (son)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1988-1990 1991 1995-1997 2000 Suburbs Hastings High School Old Boys Star Rugby Club Waitakere City () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1993-1994 Moataʻa () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1988-1990 1990-1991 1991 1992 1995-1997 2000 Auckland Auckland B Hawke's Bay Auckland Southland Bay of Plenty () Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 1996–97 2000 Highlanders Blues 13 1 (20) (0) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1986-2001 Samoa 61 (71)

Toʻo Vaega (born 17 August 1965) is a retired professional rugby union footballer, best known for his long career with the Samoan national team.

Vaega was born in Motoʻotua.

Career

Vaega made his debut for Samoa against Wales on 14 June 1986, starting one of the longest international careers in modern rugby union history. By the time of his final cap against Ireland on 11 November 2001, he had represented his country 61 times in a 15-year period.

Vaega starred for Samoa in three World Cups, but is most remembered for scoring a critical try in Samoa's historic 16–13 victory over Wales in Cardiff during the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Outside of his duties with the Samoan national team, Vaega enjoyed a long club career in New Zealand, most notably with Southland and the Highlanders in the mid-1990s. He was an original Highlander in the first Super 12 campaign in 1996, and set a franchise record with three tries in a match that year against Western Province, a record he shares to this day.

Vaega's son Cardiff Vaega, named for the site of Samoa's victory over Wales in 1991, is currently playing for the Counties-Manukau Steelers in the Mitre 10 Cup competition.

External links

• To’o Vaega at ESPNscrum
• To’o Vaega at ItsRugby.co.uk