Alesana
Tuilagi

Alesana Tuilagi was a powerful Samoan winger who also represented Leicester, Newcastle and Toulon.

Alesana Tuilagi Bio

Alesana Tuilagi was a gifted winger who represented Samoa. His unique blend of pace and power meant that he was a nightmare for defenders during his spells at Leicester, Newcastle and Toulon. Alesana Tuilagi was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Alesana Tuilagi began his rugby-playing career at Parma, who he represented between 2002 and 2004. During this time, he firmly established a reputation as a try scorer and caught the attention of several big clubs. However, he ultimately signed for Leicester Tigers, who he went on to represent 145 times between 2004 and 2012.

During his time at Leicester, Alesana Tuilagi won three Premiership titles and finished as a runner-up in the Heineken Champions Cup twice. He also regularly played alongside his brothers. In fact, the Tuilagi brothers hold a special place in the history of Leicester Tigers, and all five of the brothers have played for the club at least once.

At the end of the 2012 season, Alesana Tuilagi left Leicester and signed for NTT Communications Shining Arcs of the Japanese Top League. However, he only stayed with the club for two seasons before he returned to play in Europe. He then represented Newcastle Falcons (2014-16) and Toulon (2016-17) before he retired.

A powerhouse at club level, Alesana Tuilagi was also a force on the international stage. During his international career, he made 37 appearances for Samoa, and he was a key member of the side that beat Australia 32-23 in 2011.

Since retiring from rugby in 2017, Alesana Tuilagi has returned to Samoa with his family.