Hurricanes

Bio

Alapati Leuia re-joins the Hurricanes in 2012 for his second full Super Rugby season.

He missed the start of 2011 through injury, but played in nine of 10 of the remaining matches, making seven starts on the wing and two at centre.

Previously, he made 13 caps in his debut Super Rugby season, backing up an active ITM Cup season for the Vodafone Wellington Lions that saw him play 13 games as both a centre and a winger.

The then Hurricanes Wider Training Squad member Leuia was called into the Hurricanes in the early rounds of the 2010 Rebel Sport Super 14, answering an injury crisis that saw Tamati Ellison and Conrad Smith both unable to travel with the team on their South African trip.

Leuia then made his full debut at centre against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, and played off the bench the next week against the Stormers and on the wing the following week against the Bulls. The Hurricanes lost these three matches, making it a tough introduction to Super 14 rugby for the hugely talented Leuia.

Leuia had a phenomenal year in 2009, sweeping all before him in Wellington club rugby and becoming a first choice starter for the Wellington Lions on the wing and at centre. It was in the centre position where he excelled in club rugby for Northern United, scoring a remarkable 21 tries in 16 games and lighting up the rugby fields of Wellington. He made his Wellington Lions debut in the first Ranfurly Shield defence of the year against Wairarapa Bush and his Air New Zealand Cup debut off the bench in round four against Auckland - going on to start in the last 10 matches of the year and scoring 5 tries for the Lions in 13 appearances. In 2011, Leiua was named Wellington Player of the Year. 

Stats

Provincial Teams

Wellington

Provincial Points

65 points (13t)

Provincial Caps

37

Provincial Debut

2009 v Wairarapa Bush

Super Rugby Caps

12

Super Rugby Points

5 (1t)

Super Rugby Debut

2010 v Cheetahs

Rugby facts

Position When Younger

Centre

Biggest Rugby Influence

My Brothers