Lopeti Timani
No. 8
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Profile
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Height:
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193cm
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Weight:
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116kg
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Date Of Birth:
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28/09/1990
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Place of Birth:
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Navutoka, Tonga
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Rugby Career
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Senior Club:
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Southern Districts
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Stats
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Provincial Rugby Caps:
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18
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Provincial Rugby Debut:
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2012 v Queensland Reds
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Super Rugby Caps:
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18
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Super Rugby Debut:
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2012 v Queensland Reds
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Backrower Lopeti Timani graduates to the HSBC Waratahs squad this year after a breakthrough season playing out of the Extended Playing Squad in 2012. The powerful young forward debuted against the Queensland Reds in round one, and went to play in all but two of the remaining fixtures last year.
Growing up in Tonga, Lopeti attended Atele Boys College and played his rugby for the Silapelu’ua club. He moved to Australia to pursue a rugby league career with the Canterbury Bulldogs, where he played 24 games in the U/20 Toyota Cup between 2009 and 2010. His physical playing style and prior experience in rugby union caught the eye of selectors, and he was offered a contract to come back into the rugby fold with the HSBC Junior Waratahs for 2011.
From there, Lopeti’s professional rugby career has gone from strength to strength. He represented the HSBC Junior Waratahs in the 2011 IRB Pacific Rugby Cup and played alongside Grayson Hart at Southern Districts in the Shute Shield where he developed his ability to play at lock in addition to the back row.
Lopeti has had plenty of motivation to achieve his dream of playing professional rugby. Older brother Sione has played seven tests for the Tongan rugby union side and plies his trade for the Llanelli Scarlets in Wales. His other older brother, Sitaleki, is an established member of the HSBC Waratahs squad and a capped Wallaby.
The Timani family ties remain strong; Lopeti moved into an apartment with older brother Sitaleki and Sitaleki’s fiancée Angela in Brighton Le Sands last year. With a combined weight of 245kg, the weekly food bill for the two brothers regularly tips the $700 mark.
Updated March 25, 2013