Christian Leali'ifano rugby player
Christian Leali'ifano rugby player

Christian Leali'ifano

24th Sep 1987 1.80m/95kg Inside Centre

Christian Leali'ifano, born on 24 September 1987, is an Australian rugby union player of Samoan heritage. He primarily plays as an inside centre or fly-half.

Leali'ifano currently represents Moana Pasifika in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.

Leali'ifano's rugby journey began in Auckland, New Zealand, before his family moved to Melbourne, Australia when he was seven years old. He played rugby union for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2004 and 2005.

He joined the Brumbies rugby academy program in 2006 and represented the Australian Under 19 and Under 21 rugby teams. In 2006, he played fly-half for the Australian Under 19 team that won the IRB World Championship.

Leali'ifano signed with the Brumbies on a rookie contract in 2007. He made his Super Rugby debut in 2008 and initially played as a fly-half before transitioning to inside centre.

He suffered a knee injury in 2010 but recovered to play for Waikato in the ITM Cup and continued to feature for the Brumbies in subsequent seasons. In 2012, he earned recognition as the Man of the Match in eight out of ten Super Rugby games before suffering a broken ankle.

In August 2016, Leali'ifano was diagnosed with leukemia after the Super Rugby season. He underwent a bone marrow transplant and made a remarkable recovery.

In 2017, he signed for Ulster on a loan deal and continued his professional rugby career. Leali'ifano returned to the Brumbies in 2018 as co-captain and made significant contributions to the team. He has also played for various clubs in Japan, including Toyota Industries and the Shining Arcs.

Leali'ifano has represented the Australian national team, the Wallabies, earning test caps and scoring points. He participated in the Rugby Championship and World Cup squads.

After the World Cup, he announced his retirement from international rugby. Leali'ifano joined Moana Pasifika in 2021 for the Super Rugby Pacific season, marking a new chapter in his career.

Ahead of the World Rugby Cup 2023, Leali'ifano has been named in the squad for Samoa.

KG(05/07/2023)

Career

Moana Pasifika Rugby Logo Moana Pasifika Rugby
Fly Half
2021 - present
samoa-rugby-logo Samoa
Fly Half
2023 - present
Canberra_Vikings_logo_page_image Canberra Vikings
Inside Centre
2014 - 2016
image World XV
Fly Half
2015 - 2016
Sungoliath Tokyo Sungoliath
Inside Centre
2016 - 2016
ulster_rugby Ulster Rugby
Fly Half
2017 - 2018
verblitz Toyota Verblitz
Fly Half
2018 - 2018
Shuttles Toyota Industries Shuttles
Fly Half
2018 - 2018
brumbies ACT Brumbies
Inside Centre
2008 - 2019
australia Australia
Inside Centre
2013 - 2019
ntt logo Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu
Inside Centre
2020 - 2021