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Cross-code legend Va'aiga Tuigamala dead at 52

(Photo by Rui Vieira/PA Images via Getty Images)

The death of rugby league and union great Va’aiga Tuigamala is being reported today at the age of 52.

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Tuigamala represented both New Zealand and Samoan in rugby union as well as the Samoan rugby league team in an international career that spanned 1989 to 2001.

He also enjoyed famous club careers in both codes, representing Wigan in league and Wasps, Newcastle Falcons and Auckland in the fifteen man code.

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His 1997 £1million pound deal to join Newcastle was a record in the sport at the time.

Born in Faleasiu, Samoa, Tuigamala started playing for Ponsonby and Auckland, before winning his first All Blacks cap as a winger in 1989 and playing his first test match, against the US Eagles, in 1991.

He won a total of 19 caps for New Zealand, including playing at the 1991 world Cup, before switching to the thirteen man code.

Known as ‘Inga the Winger’, the destructive ball carrier signed for Wigan in 1993. He won two Challenge Cup winners’ medals, two Regal ‘Trophy winners’, medals and a Premiership winners medal in his three seasons with Wigan and also helped the club beat the Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge.

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He then reverted to rugby union by signing a five-year deal with Newcastle that reputedly cost the Kingston Park club £1million and went on to win league titles with both the Falcons and Wasps.

Tragically, his death comes just three weeks after the passing of his sister.

Former Wigan teammate Jason Robinson posted: “Absolutely heartbroken! I owe so much to this amazing man! Literally helped change my life when he came to Wigan Warriors from NZ. Sending all my love and condolences to the family at such a sad time. RIP brother.”

Former Wales No.8 Andy Powell wrote: “RIP Inga Tuigamala, what a player and what a great bloke.”

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Newcastle Falcons official Twitter account posted: “It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Va’aiga (Inga) Tuigamala. A true great of both codes who helped us win the 1997-98 Premiership title, Inga will be fondly remembered for his physicality on the field, and his friendship off it. RIP Inga.”

Wigan Warriors tweeted: “This morning, Wigan Warriors are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic news that former player Va’aiga (Inga) Tuigamala has passed away. Wigan Warriors send their deepest condolences to the family and friends at this awful time.”

BBC broadcaster Tulsen Tollett wrote: “Va’aiga Tuigamala was one of the true forerunners of Pacific Nations Rugby players. A gentle man who cared about others. Someone who would tackle you hard but make sure you were okay before moving on. He helped many, on & off the pitch. My condolences to his friends & family.”

Tuigamala became a funeral director after retiring from rugby, prompted by the death of 10 of his friends in 2003.

He ran a funeral company, Tuigamala & Sons, in West Auckland and organised the funeral of the late king of Tonga, Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.

– additional reporting AAP

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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