Viliami Taulani signs for Harlequins

Harlequins have announced the signing of Tongan international back-row Viliami Taulani from the Waikato Chiefs.

A powerful back-row, Taulani joins Harlequins fresh from international duty with Tonga having faced the All Blacks and Samoa in July.

Versatile with the ability to cover the second row, Taulani featured twice for the Chiefs during their 20/21 campaign, playing in both the Super Rugby and Super Rugby AOTEAROA competitions.

Taulani, 24, was also a member of the Counties Manakau 2020 Mitre 10 Cup squad, having played for the side on 19 occasions since 2016. A strong lineout operator that has impressed during his time in New Zealand, Quins’ latest squad addition weighs in at 118kg, standing at 6’3”.

Welcoming the explosive back-row, Senior Coach Tabai Matson said: “It’s great to welcome Viliami to Harlequins. He is a player I came to know during my time in New Zealand and has a great ability to put his team on the front foot.

"He is a guy that plays some abrasive rugby and will fit in well with how we like to do things at Harlequins. We’re looking forward to seeing him play the Harlequins Way.”