Jacob Rauluni
Birth name | Jacob Sekove Rauluni | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 25 June 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Suva, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 88 kg (13 st 12 lb; 194 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Brisbane State High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Taito Rauluni (father) Mosese Rauluni (brother) Waisale Serevi (uncle) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jacob Rauluni is currently the most prominent in a family of international halfbacks. His father, Taito, played halfback for Fiji, as does his brother Mosese. And his first cousin Waisale Serevi began his rugby career at halfback. Jacob had an extended spell playing rugby in the UK, and is best known for helping Rotherham Titans win promotion to the Premiership. In 2006 he played three tests for The Barbarians. He retired from international rugby in 2007, having played 52 tests. He played his last test against Japan as captain of the national team.
Test career
Jacob has been capped 52 times by his country including captaining them in the 2003 season. Remarkably he has played in three World Cups in 1995, 1999 and 2003. He played his first Telecom Fiji Cup game in July 2000, turning out alongside Marika Vunibaka to help Suva defeat Tailevu.
Club career
Jake grew up in Brisbane, and played for Australian Schoolboys and Australian Under 21s before choosing Fiji. At school he used to play flanker, but the Aussie Schoolboys team needed a halfback for the tour of the UK in 1991, and Jake says he was handed the No.9 jersey because of his family's tradition. He had a very good combination with Fijian first five eighth Nicky Little. He has kept a regular spot in the Fiji team for the past decade, and also played for the Queensland Reds in Super 12 from 1995 - 2002, playing in the semi-finals in 2000 and 2002. Leeds Tykes signed Jacob Rauluni on a one-year contract from Guinness Premiership side Bristol ahead of the 2006–07 season. An experienced scrum half at the time, Jacob was an asset to the club and played a role in helping the club achieve promotion. He made his debut in the third game of the season, away against Pertemps Bees. He went onto make a further 7 starts in the league and 12 appearance off the bench. Jacob spent three successful seasons playing for Rotherham, making 51 appearances for Rotherham between 2002 and 2005. He was a key member of the promotion winning side and featured in their Premiership campaign in 2003-04.[1] He played for Queensland from 1995–2002 and played over 55 Super 12 games.[2] He was part of 2000 and 2002 semifinals. Jacob chose to play for Fiji like his father Taito.
Personal life
He married Vanessa and settled in central Queensland. He plays rugby for the Capella Cattledogs and in 2009 played for Queensland Country. Jacob had shares in a coal mining industry in central Queensland. He currently holds a number of black coal competencies.
References
External links
- 1972 births
- Fijian rugby union players
- Leeds Carnegie players
- Living people
- Rotherham R.U.F.C. players
- Queensland Reds players
- Fijian expatriate rugby union players
- Expatriate rugby union players in Australia
- Fijian expatriates in Australia
- People educated at Brisbane State High School
- People from Suva
- I-Taukei Fijian people
- People from Brisbane