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Uini Atonio

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Uini Atonio
Atonio representing France
Date of birth (1990-03-26) 26 March 1990 (age 34)
Place of birthTimaru, New Zealand
Height1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight149 kg (328 lb; 23 st 6 lb)
SchoolWesley College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team La Rochelle
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2011– La Rochelle 276 (65)
Correct as of 15 April 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009 Samoa U20 5 (0)
2014– France 62 (10)
Correct as of 16 March 2024

Uini Atonio (Samoan: [wini atoniːo]; born 26 March 1990) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Top 14 club La Rochelle. Born in New Zealand, he represents France at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.

Early life

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Uini Atonio was born on (1990-03-26)26 March 1990 in Timaru, New Zealand to Samoan parents.[1] He started playing rugby union in his hometown at the age of five for amateur club Harlequins RFC.[2] In 2000, he moved to Auckland with his family and attended Wesley College in Pukekohe before joining Counties Manukau at sixteen years old where he stayed until 2011.[2][3][4][5]

At his time at Wesley College, his older brother Vau and he did theatre and were part of the Black Friars, the school's company which performed Shakespeare's plays.[6] After being released by Counties Manukau, he did a few professional theatrical performances to make a little money.[7]

Club career

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Atonio playing for La Rochelle in 2014

On 1 July 2011, Atonio joined French club La Rochelle after then-head coach Patrice Collazo spotted him at a rugby tens tournament in Hong Kong in 2010.[8][9] Shortly after his arrival in France, he played his first professional game for the club during the 2011–12 Pro D2 season. After having played fourteen games in his first season, he played twenty nine matches in his second and then thirty in his third season at the end of which he was integral to La Rochelle promotion into the Top 14 in 2014, becoming a cornerstone of the team.[10]

On 16 August 2014, he played his very first Top 14 game against Brive in a 37–15 away loss.[11][12]

In the 2020–21 season, he reached the Champions Cup and Top 14 finals but lost both games against Toulouse after losing the 2018–19 Challenge Cup final two years earlier.[13][14][15]

On 28 May 2022, he led La Rochelle to an epic 21-24 win against Leinster in the 2021–22 European Rugby Champions Cup final at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, playing more than sixty minutes and earning his first major trophy with the club.[16]

International career

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"My son was born in France. Honestly, I feel French. I sing the French anthem. You play for the nation, for your country."

– Atonio at a press conference in January 2017.[17]

Born in New Zealand to Samoan parents, Atonio was eligible to play for both New Zealand and Samoa. He later qualified for France through residency having lived in La Rochelle since 2011.[18]

In 2009, he was named in the Samoa U20 squad for the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship in Japan and was the heaviest player in the tournament.[19]

Atonio with [[France national rugby union team�France]] against [[Italy national rugby union team�Italy]] during the 2023 Six Nations Championship
Atonio (centre) playing for France in 2023

In 2014, he was called up to the France national team for the 2014 Autumn internationals after completing the required three years of residency and made his debut on 8 November in a 40–15 win over Fiji in Marseille.[20] He was then included in the France squad for the 2015 Six Nations Championship and the 2015 Rugby World Cup a year later, as well as for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Six Nations Championships.[21]

In 2022, Atonio was included in the squad for the 2022 Six Nations Championship, played in all five games as a starter and won the first French Grand Slam since 2010 after finishing in second place a year ago.[22]

Career statistics

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List of international tries

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No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 18 March 2023 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  Wales 25–7 41–28 2023 Six Nations
2 19 August 2023 Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France  Fiji 21–10 34–17 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches

Honours

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La Rochelle
France

References

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  1. ^ Charmasson, Martin (29 January 2016). "XV de France. Cinq océaniens retenus pour le Tournoi des VI Nations !". La 1re (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Elliott (14 October 2015). "Rugby World Cup 2015: Uini Atonio - From Timaru to French tighthead". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  3. ^ Savage, Jared (6 May 2007). "Rugby: Weeny the sleeping giant". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  4. ^ "R-E-S-P-E-C-T!". The Aucklander. The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. ^ van Niekerk, Mike (4 June 2008). "Rugby: 'Home' is many places for Kiwi-born Samoan French international Uini Atonio". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. ^ Henson, Mike (16 March 2022). "Uini Atonio: France's 23st, Shakespeare-quoting prop". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Atonio, the Artist". Midi Olympique (in French). 30 December 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  8. ^ Deudon, Benjamin (1 July 2011). "Un espoir Néo-zélandais s'engage avec le Stade Rochelais". Sud Ouest (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Atonio (La Rochelle) : la montagne qui court…". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). 29 August 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  10. ^ Kinsella, Murray (8 October 2015). "'For Jared Payne, it was 10 times harder than for me' - France's gigantic Atonio". The42.ie. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  11. ^ Bébien, Arnaud (15 August 2014). "La Rochelle avance vers Brive avec ses certitudes". Rugbyrama (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. ^ Brazon, Rémi (19 August 2014). "Top 14 analyse CA Brive - La Rochelle : une saison parfaitement lancée". Allez Brive Rugby (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  13. ^ Perottov, Thomas (5 June 2022). "Rugby : pour Uini Atonio, " l'histoire n'est pas terminée " avec La Rochelle". Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  14. ^ Sadmi, Jade (9 June 2022). "Finale Top 14 : Souvenez-vous...le 25 juin 2021, le Stade Toulousain réalisait le doublé Coupe d'Europe-Top 14". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Clermont clinch third Challenge Cup with victory over La Rochelle". EPCR. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Retiere's late try sees La Rochelle beat Leinster to win European Champions Cup". France 24. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  17. ^ Commissaire, Emmanuel (24 January 2017). "XV de France : Uini Atonio se "sent français" et plaisante sur sa naturalisation". Sud Ouest (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  18. ^ Johnstone, Duncan (24 September 2014). "Kiwi-born prop Atonio selected in French team". Stuff. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  19. ^ "JWC 2009: Final Statistics". World Rugby. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Uini ATONIO". Stade Rochelais (in French). 27 June 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Uini ATONIO: profile and stats". All.Rugby (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  22. ^ Le Bihan, Éric (20 March 2022). "EN IMAGES - Le Grand Chelem des trois mousquetaires du Stade Rochelais". France Bleu (in French). Retrieved 18 March 2023.
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