Kapeli Pifeleti

Tonga-born rugby union player (b. 1999)

Rugby player

Kapeli Pifeleti

Date of birth

(1999-09-01) September 1, 1999 (age 24)

Place of birth

Tonga

Height

6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)

Weight

245 lb (111 kg)

School

Haileybury College

Notable relative(s)

Fakaʻosi Pifeleti (brother)

Rugby union career

Youth career
Position(s)	Hooker Prop
2017–2018	Saracens
Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2019– 2019	Saracens →San Diego Legion (loan)	14 15	(15) (0)
Correct as of 15 April 2021^[1]
International career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2018 2018– 2019–	England U18 USA Selects United States	0 8	(0) (5)
Correct as of 11 July 2022^[2]

Kapeli Pifeleti (born September 1, 1999)^[3] is a rugby union player who plays as a hooker and prop for Saracens in Premiership Rugby and the United States national team. Born in Tonga,^[4] Pifeleti has also represented the United States with the USA Selects and England with the England national under-18 team.

Club career

Saracens Academy

Pifeleti played for Saracens F.C. in 2017 and 2018, making appearances with the Saracens Storm and Saracens Under-18 sides.^[5]^[6]

San Diego Legion

In late 2018, it was announced that Pifeleti would play for the San Diego Legion during Major League Rugby's 2019 season.^[4] Pifeleti made his debut for the Legion on January 27, 2019, appearing as a substitute and playing at prop, in a 25–23 defeat to Rugby United New York.^[7] Pifeleti made his first start for the Legion on February 9, 2019, playing at hooker, in a 17–13 victory over Houston.^[8]

International career

England under-18 team

Pifeleti was named to the roster for the England national under-18 team in 2018.^[9]

USA Selects

Having lived several years in San Francisco while growing up, Pifeleti was eligible to play for the USA.^[10] Pifeleti was named to the roster for the USA Selects ahead of the 2018 Americas Pacific Challenge.^[11] However, he did not make an appearance for the team during the competition.^[4]

USA Eagles

Pifeleti made his debut for the USA Eagles on February 23, 2019, appearing as a substitute, in the Eagles' 33–28 victory over Brazil during the 2019 Americas Rugby Championship.^[12] Pifeleti qualified to represent the United States by meeting World Rugby's residency requirement.^[13]

Personal life

Pifeleti has an older brother, Fakaʻosi Pifeleti, who also plays rugby as a prop for the San Diego Legion.^[13] Their father, ʻOtenili Pifeleti, played rugby for the Tonga national and Samoa national teams,^[14] and served as captain of the former during the 1980s.^[15]

References

^ "Kapeli Pifelei". its rugby. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
^ "Kapeli Pifelei". espnscrum. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
^ "Kapeli Pifeleti". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "San Diego Legion reveal 2019 MLR roster". Americas Rugby News. December 18, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ "Report: U18s Edge 11-Try Thriller at Allianz Park". Saracens F.C. January 30, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
^ "Storm Team to Face Richmond". Saracens F.C. August 24, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
^ "New York beat San Diego in MLR debut". Americas Rugby News. January 27, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
^ "Legion leave it late to beat SaberCats". Americas Rugby News. February 10, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
^ "Barlow Included in England U18s 2018 Squad". Harlequin F.C. February 19, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ "San Diego Legion Signs Kapeli Pifeleti". djcoilrugby. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
^ "USA add England hooker Pifeleti to APC roster". Americas Rugby News. September 27, 2018. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ "Americas Rugby Championship - TX, 23 February 2019, 19:10 local, 03:10 GMT +1d". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Foreign-Born Players in 2019 Americas Rugby Championship". Americas Rugby News. January 31, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
^ "ʻOtenili Pifeleti". espn.co.uk. ESPN. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
^ "Kapeli Pifeleti". San Diego Legion. Retrieved March 13, 2019.