Maleli Kunavore (13 November 1983 – 15 November 2012) was a Fijian rugby union footballer.

Career

December 1, 2012 Stade toulousain vs ASM 1817

He played as a

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

. He played for

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

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 ...

and

Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

. He was found by Fiji coach Wayne Pivac when he spotted Maleli playing in the

Colonial Cup Colonial Cup may refer to: * Colonial Cup (ice hockey), the trophy for the post-season champion of the International Hockey League. * Colonial Cup (rugby league), an international rugby league football challenge match played between the United Stat ...

for the Coastal Stallions. He was selected for the national team for the

Pacific 5 Nations The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between three Pacific states: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The 2019 edition of the tournament will also include the national teams of Canada, Japan and United States. First held ...

tournament. After a game against

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

he and a few other players were caught in a brawl and were suspended from playing any games in and for Fiji until 31 December 2006. A product of the Nadi Muslim Academy, Kunavore began to shine when he represented the Fiji U21 side in 2004. A year later the solid speedster was the top try scorer for the Stallions in the

. He improved with every match and scored one try and two conversions to help his province Nadroga with the Fiji Cup final in 2005. He then earned his first Test cap and also scored a try to help Fiji defeat Samoa 21-15 in Suva. In mid-2005 he left Fiji's shores for a position at Toulouse in France. In early 2010, Kunavore suffered two major injuries to his left arm. He underwent a cardiac operation. He left Toulouse and retired from rugby soon after. On 15 November 2012, he suffered a cardiac arrest and he died at his home in Suva. He was 29 years of age.

References

External links

Toulouse profile

Fiji profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunavore, Maleli 1983 births 2012 deaths Fijian rugby union players People from Sigatoka Stade Toulousain players Rugby union centres Rugby union wings Expatriate rugby union players in France Fiji international rugby union players Fijian expatriate rugby union players Fijian expatriate sportspeople in France I-Taukei Fijian people