Joeli Vidiri

Joeli Vidiri

Full name	Joeli Vidiri
Date of birth	November 23, 1973 (1973-11-23)
Place of birth	Fiji
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	100 kg (15 st 10 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Wing
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1994-2000 2001	Counties Auckland	71 2	(280) (0)
Super Rugby
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1996–2001	Blues	61	(215)
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1998 1994-95	New Zealand Fiji	2 11	(5) (25)

Medal record
Competitor for New Zealand
Men's Rugby
Commonwealth Games
Gold	1998 Kuala Lumpur	Rugby 7's

Joeli Vidiri (born 23 November 1973 in Nausori, Naitasiri, Fiji) is a retired Fijian rugby union footballer who also played for the All Blacks. He played as a wing.

Career

Vidiri studied at Queen Victoria School (Fiji). He represented Fiji in both 15s and sevens before coming to New Zealand in 1994. He played for the Auckland Blues in the Super 12 competition and represented Counties Manukau in the NPC. He only managed to play two tests for New Zealand before he was diagnosed with a kidney illness and placed on dialysis treatment like his fellow Auckland Blues winger Jonah Lomu.

Vidiri played in the Super 12 for the Auckland Blues from 1996 until 2001, where he scored 43 tries in 61 games, at the time an individual record. In 2000 Joeli equalled the record for most tries scored in one match scoring 4 against the Bulls. He had a song named after him (Give Me Hope Joeli) that was very popular with the Auckland Blues fans at home games at Eden Park. He appeared in only five Super 12 matches in 2001, with his illness impacting on his ability to play. In 2000 Vidiri played for the Barbarian F.C. against Leicester Tigers. Vidiri made 71 provincial appearances for Counties, for whom Vidiri scored 56 tries. After two early matches with Auckland in the 2001 NPC, he ended his career.

External links

• Joeli Vidiri at AllBlacks.com