Lolani Koko

Lolani Koko is a Samoan former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played representative rugby union for Samoa and representative rugby league for Western Samoa, including at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.

Lolani Koko
Personal information
Born (1963-10-02) 2 October 1963
Height191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight100 kg (15 st 10 lb)
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionCentre
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Moata'a[1]
Wellington
1983–94 Samoa 23 2 0 0 8
Rugby league
PositionWing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1995 Sydney City Roosters 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1995 Western Samoa 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [2][3]

Rugby union career

Koko played for the Samoa national rugby union team, making his debut in 1983. He moved to New Zealand in the early 1990s, playing for Wellington. He was invited to trial for the All Blacks but decided to stick with his native Samoa.[4] Koko scored 11 tries for Wellington in the 1992 NPC season.[5] He was named the Man of Honour at the 1993 Hong Kong Sevens.[6]

Koko also spent time with the Boroondara Rugby Club in Australia.[7]

Rugby league career

Koko switched to rugby league at the start of the 1995 season. Koko joined the Sydney City Roosters in the Australian Rugby League competition and led the Western Samoa team at the 1995 World Sevens Koko also had a stint with the Narrandera Lizards in Group 20 Rugby League.[6]

He was part of the Western Samoa squad at the 1995 World Cup.

Personal life

Koko's brother Kofe Koko also represented Samoa in rugby union and his nephew Ali Koko also represented both Samoa and Wellington in rugby union.[8]

References
  1. TMO Marist 7s Flag Tournament - last hurrah
  2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. scrum.com
  4. Fiji lose sevens' title to Samoans The Independent, 29 March 1993
  5. Season-by-season Record - 1992 Wellington Rugby Football Union
  6. Samoan's Ko-Kolossal pedigree Sydney Morning Herald, 3 February 1995
  7. Boroondara giving it a try Archived 2011-02-20 at the Wayback Machine Progress Leader, 13 July 2010
  8. Season 2007/08 - Aliinu'u (Ali) Koko - Wing Cornish Pirates
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