Frank Halai (born 6 March 1988) is a Tongan
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player who plays as a winger for the
Austin Gilgronis
The Austin Gilgronis were a professional rugby union team based in Austin, Texas, United States. The team was founded in 2017 as the Austin Elite, and competed in Major League Rugby.
History
On September 19, 2019, after extensive polling at th ...
in
Major League Rugby
Major League Rugby (MLR or USMLR) is a professional rugby union competition and the top-level championship for clubs in North America. In the 2022 season it was contested by thirteen teams: twelve from the United States and one from Canada. Off ...
(MLR).
He previously played for Pau in the Top 14.
and for
Counties Manukau in the
ITM Cup
ITM may stand for:
Education
* ITM Global School, an English medium co-educational day school in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
* ITM Law School, one of the professional graduate schools of ITM University
* ITM-IFM, Mumbai, India
* Institut Tekn ...
, and before that
Waikato
Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...
. Halai is a former
All Black Sevens and
All Black
The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...
representative, having played one test match in 2013.
Career
Halai made his
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
debut in Round 1 of the 2013 season when he started on the wing and played all 80 minutes of a 34-20 win over the Hurricanes in Wellington, scoring a try in the process. He ended the season as the
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...
leading try scorer with 10, and was third in line breaks with 21, behind his Blues team mates
Rene Ranger and
Charles Piutau
Salesi Tu'ipulotu "Charles" Piutau (born 31 October 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the fullback (and occasionally wing) position for England club Bristol Bears in the Premiership, and formerly for New Zealand's national ...
who had 24 each.
On 16 March 2017, Halai leaves Wasps in England for French club
Pau in the
Top 14
The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...
from the 2017-18 season.
Notes
External links
*
*
Blues profileSteelers profile*
Wasps RFC profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halai, Frank
Tongan emigrants to New Zealand
Tongan rugby union players
1988 births
Living people
New Zealand international rugby union players
Rugby union wings
Blues (Super Rugby) players
Counties Manukau rugby union players
Waikato rugby union players
New Zealand international rugby sevens players
Wasps RFC players
New Zealand expatriate rugby union players
New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in France
Expatriate rugby union players in France
People from Haʻapai
Section Paloise players
Austin Gilgronis players