Semi Kunatani
Date of birth | 27 October 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | Template:Unit weight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Semi Kunabuli Kunatani OF (born 27 October 1990) is a Fiji rugby union[1] player. He plays for the Fiji sevens team and also Premiership Rugby side Harlequin F.C. . Before signing for Harlequin F.C. he played for Top 14 side, Stade Toulousain. Kunatani debuted for Fiji in 2013 Dubai Sevens tournament.
Career
Kunatani started his career playing rugby in the local 7's competition. He played for the Yamacia 7's side [2] and was selected by Ben Ryan to represent the Fiji National Sevens side in Dubai 2013, following the 2013 win at the Bayleys Fiji Coral Coast Sevens where he was a stand out player.
Semi's highs this 2014–2015 World Rugby Sevens season include having scored a total of 37 tries in the series thus far, being named in three World Rugby Dream Teams' (Gold Coast, Las Vegas and Glasgow) and most recently Semi was recognised by Sir Gordon Tietjens when he was named by Sir Gordon in his Hong Kong 7s Dream Team. Listing Semi Kunatani on his bench in an all time Best Sevens team, joining the likes of Waisale Serevi, Jonah Lomu, David Campese, Eric Rush and many other greats of the game.
Semi has signed with Toulouse in the French T14, beginning his career in the 2015–16 season and will continue to represent Fiji Sevens if and when selected by national coach Ben Ryan.
Semi became an Olympian at Rio 2016 playing in all 6 matches of the Olympics and helping Fiji win their first ever Olympic gold medal when Fiji thrashed Great Britain 43-7 in the final. Semi was a major factor in the final playing a significant role in 4 tries of the first half. This saw Semi join Osea KOLINISAU and Josua Tuisova in the Rio 7s Dream Team.
Statistics
World Rugby Sevens Series
Season | Statistics | Final ranking | Tournaments played | Victory | Runners-up | Third places | |
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Matches | Tries | ||||||
2013–14 | 32 | 9 | 3rd | 6/9 | 1 | 0 | 2
Glasgow and Wellington |
2014–15 | 52 | 40 | 1st | 9/9 | 4
Gold Coast ; Las Vegas ; Hong Kong and Glasgow |
0 | 3 |
2015–16 | 12 | 5 | - | 2/6 | 0 | 0 | 2
Wellington et Sydney |
Total | 96 | 54 | - | 17 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
Awards and honours
After the 2016 Summer Olympics, Kunatani was awarded the Officer of the Order of Fiji.[3]
References
- ^ Naisa Koroi (February 15, 2015). "Rampaging Semi". Fiji Sun.
- ^ Shelvin Singh (February 27, 2015). "Injuries keep Fiji 7s star Semi Kunatani out of Marist Sevens". Mai Life Magazine.
- ^ Talebula Kate (August 26, 2016). "Medals of honour". The Fiji Times.
External links
- Fiji international rugby union players
- Living people
- Fijian rugby union players
- Fijian international rugby sevens players
- I-Taukei Fijian people
- 1990 births
- Rugby sevens players at the 2016 Olympic Games
- Olympic rugby sevens players of Fiji
- Olympic gold medalists for Fiji
- Male rugby sevens players
- Olympic medalists in rugby sevens
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Stade Toulousain players
- Expatriate rugby league players in France
- Fijian expatriate rugby union players
- Fijian expatriates in France
- Commonwealth Games medallists in rugby sevens
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Fiji
- Fijian rugby union biography stubs