Irish rugby players born in new zealand
Ireland rugby new zealand...
Bundee Aki is an explosive runner – with the tackling ability to match.
A stalwart of rugby in the west of Ireland, he was a key member of Connacht’s 2015-16 Pro12-winning side and was selected for the British & Irish Lions 2021 squad.
Ten things you should know about Bundee Aki
1.
Bundee Aki was born on 7 April 1990 in Auckland, New Zealand. His full name is Fua Leiofi Bundellu Aki, and he is of Samoan descent.
2. His name Bundellu is in tribute to a doctor who helped with his birth, while the abbreviation ‘Bundee’ was given to him by a childhood rugby coach.
3.
Samoa international Tim Nanai-Williams was in the year above him at Manurewa High School.
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The two are close friends.
Bundee Aki and Tim Nanai-Williams after Ireland and Samoa’s clash at RWC 2019 (Sportsfile/Getty Images)
4. He didn’t immediately enter professional rugby after leaving school, instead working as a bank teller in New Zealand to earn money for his family.
5.
His local side was Counties Man