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In July 2022, Melani signed to play in the NPC for Bay Of Plenty alongside brothers
Kitiona and Codemeru Vai for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He went on to play for the Crusaders Super Rugby side in 2023 under the guidance of Scott Robertson. Following this, he was scheduled to play for Rugby New York
541:
On 14th
September 2024, Nanai made his debut for the Samoan Men's International side during the Pacific Nation's Cup in Tokyo against the Brave Blossoms side debuting from the bench in the midfield. Manu Samoa lost the game 49-27.
953:
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in the southern part of
Auckland. He later returned home to his native Samoa at the end of his 5th form in 2009 before returning to New Zealand in 2011. He worked packing boxes and doing dispatch in
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469:
in the MLR for 2024, but after the club filed closure in
December 2023, Nanai signed to play for the newly formed Vancouver Highlanders in the Rugby Players Challenge Summer Series.
443:
was not such a good year for
Auckland, as they finished 5th on the log, while Nanai's try scoring and appearance stats were the same as the previous year, 3 tries in 6 matches.
431:
saw him break into their top team and make 5 appearances during the campaign which ended with him being named development player of the year. A first team squad member in
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Melani continued to play for the Blues until 2019, gaining 64 appearances for the franchise and in the same year winning the award for Blues’ Players Player of the Year.
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Just 5 appearances at provincial level were enough to convince
Auckland-based Super Rugby franchise the Blues to name him in their wider training group for the
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In addition to playing for
Auckland at provincial level, he has also represented them in sevens rugby as well as winning the World 10s Championship with the
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481:. He enjoyed a hugely impressive debut campaign playing at Super Rugby level, making 13 starts in the outside back positions and scoring 3 tries.
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international, whilst his sister Corina Nanai Vai and his wife, Bridie Nanai also represented
Auckland Storm in the Farah Palmer Cup.
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and he promoted Nanai to their first team squad. Again he was a regular through 2016, mostly in the fullback position vacated by
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465:. He remained at the club until the end of the 2022 season before returning to New Zealand.
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In 2023 he returned to Super Rugby in a move to the
Crusaders on a one-year deal.
1059:"'I just couldn't deny Razor': Former Blues back Melani Nanai on Crusaders shift"
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Born and raised in Samoa, Nanai came to New
Zealand to attend high school at
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in the final and this time he was named as Auckland's rookie of the year.
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on 5 November 2016. He scored the game's opening try in the 4th minute.
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1136:"Former All Black Andy Ellis to skipper Barbarians against Springboks"
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984:"Worcester Warriors | Melani Nanai pens Warriors contract extension"
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407:, are currently contracted to the All Blacks 7's squad. His father
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1037:"Worcester Warriors: Melani Nanai is Blues' players' player"
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Although not initially named in the Auckland squad for the
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1162:"Late van Rensburg try saves South Africa blushes"
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777:"Melani Nanai itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics"
526:He also played in the number 15 jersey for the
94:102 kg (16 st 1 lb; 225 lb)
1262:
8:
427:, Nanai's impressive form at club level for
21:
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1081:"Melani Nanai Scoresway Player Statistics"
523:where he scored 3 tries in 5 appearances.
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20:
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802:"Melani Nanai ESPN Scrum Player Profile"
556:
1106:"JWC 2013:Pool C: Samoa (Team Profile)"
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745:"Melani Nanai Auckland Player Profile"
7:
384:while playing club rugby, first for
334:Correct as of 16 September 2024
251:Correct as of 16 September 2024
859:"Melani Nanai Blues Player Profile"
1039:. Worcester Warriors. 19 June 2019
928:"Auckland ITM Cup squad announced"
517:2013 IRB Junior World Championship
14:
1608:Bay of Plenty rugby union players
489:as Blues head coach ahead of the
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392:where he came under the wing of
1613:Crusaders (rugby union) players
1603:Samoan emigrants to New Zealand
960:. 3 August 2014. Archived from
1:
1593:Rugby union players from Apia
1112:. 4 June 2013. Archived from
1578:Auckland rugby union players
883:. Rugby Heaven. 14 July 2016
530:in their 31–31 draw against
1583:Blues (Super Rugby) players
515:team which competed in the
403:His brother's, Kitiona and
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1588:Worcester Warriors players
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511:Nanai was a member of the
352:(born 3 August 1993) is a
1061:. Stuff. 19 February 2019
1009:"Blues 2015 Squad Naming"
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827:"Blues 2017 Squad Guide"
491:2016 Super Rugby season
479:2015 Super Rugby season
359:player who plays as an
72:1.94 m (6 ft
1598:Barbarian F.C. players
1496:Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
1461:Ngarohi McGarvey-Black
552:As of 23 November 2016
546:Super Rugby statistics
1568:Rugby union fullbacks
1282:– current squad
365:Vancouver Highlanders
237:Vancouver Highlanders
136:Vancouver Highlanders
1375:Manaaki Selby-Rickit
964:on 20 September 2013
258:International career
1573:Rugby union centres
1116:on 11 December 2014
377:De La Salle College
103:De La Salle College
25:
459:Worcester Warriors
205:Worcester Warriors
109:Rugby union career
1563:Rugby union wings
1535:
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1456:Lalomilo Lalomilo
1431:Fehi Fineanganofo
1330:Ryosuke Funahashi
1233:at ItsRugby.co.uk
1195:Premiership Rugby
1142:. 3 November 2016
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409:Kitiona Nanai Vai
388:and latterly for
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49:(age 31)
47:3 August 1993
39:
37:Date of birth
35:
31:
27:
16:
1527:Richard Watt
1486:Carlos Price
1476:Emoni Narawa
1471:Melani Nanai
1470:
1451:Richard Judd
1441:Grady Forbes
1421:Leroy Carter
1390:Nathan Vella
1385:Pasilio Tosi
1355:Jacob Norris
1340:Taine Kolose
1231:Melani Nanai
1211:Melani Nanai
1191:Melani Nanai
1169:. Retrieved
1165:
1156:
1144:. Retrieved
1140:Rugby Heaven
1139:
1130:
1118:. Retrieved
1114:the original
1109:
1100:
1088:. Retrieved
1084:
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1063:. Retrieved
1053:
1041:. Retrieved
1031:
1019:. Retrieved
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991:. Retrieved
987:
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966:. Retrieved
962:the original
957:
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936:. Retrieved
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906:
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875:
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834:. Retrieved
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809:. Retrieved
805:
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784:. Retrieved
780:
752:. Retrieved
748:
739:
551:
540:
532:South Africa
525:
510:
502:
499:
476:
467:
452:
445:
425:2014 ITM Cup
422:
413:Samoan Rugby
405:Codemeru Vai
402:
374:
371:Early career
361:outside back
350:Melani Nanai
349:
348:
345:
278:
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268:
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162:
157:
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131:Current team
130:
118:
23:Melani Nanai
18:Rugby player
15:
1548:1993 births
1506:Kaleb Trask
1436:Cole Forbes
1395:Etonia Waqa
1360:Semisi Paea
1320:Kurt Eklund
1120:11 December
1090:11 December
1021:11 December
968:11 December
811:11 December
754:11 December
487:John Kirwan
473:Super Rugby
398:Frank Bunce
382:East Tāmaki
357:rugby union
321:Samoa Men's
119:Position(s)
1542:Categories
1520:Head coach
1365:Aidan Ross
1171:3 December
1166:ESPN Scrum
1146:3 December
938:3 December
932:Voxy.co.nz
903:"Cody Vai"
887:3 December
865:3 December
836:3 December
806:ESPN Scrum
786:3 December
731:References
528:Barbarians
483:Tana Umaga
453:He joined
437:Canterbury
305:Barbarians
43:1993-08-03
1481:Reon Paul
1295:John Afoa
1215:ESPNscrum
1085:Scoresway
1065:1 October
1043:1 October
958:London 24
394:All Black
221:Crusaders
201:2019-2022
185:2015−2019
169:2014–2019
86: in)
29:Full name
1511:Cody Vai
1315:Sam Cane
1288:Forwards
396:legend,
363:for the
279:(Points)
173:Auckland
163:(Points)
993:30 June
912:8 April
386:Otahuhu
81:⁄
590:Points
569:Starts
560:Season
521:France
411:was a
354:Samoan
346:
99:School
91:Weight
69:Height
1404:Backs
1012:(PDF)
830:(PDF)
691:Total
652:Blues
607:Blues
587:Drops
578:Tries
566:Games
457:side
448:Blues
264:Years
233:2024-
189:Blues
148:Years
63:Samoa
1173:2016
1148:2016
1122:2014
1092:2014
1067:2023
1045:2023
1023:2014
995:2020
970:2014
940:2016
914:2024
889:2016
867:2016
838:2016
813:2014
788:2016
756:2014
703:1824
647:2016
620:1003
602:2015
596:Red
584:Pens
581:Cons
575:Mins
563:Team
441:2016
433:2015
317:2024
301:2016
296:(15)
285:2013
274:Apps
269:Team
217:2023
212:(20)
196:(80)
180:(60)
158:Apps
153:Team
59:Apia
1213:at
1193:at
665:821
593:Yel
572:Sub
534:at
519:in
400:.
312:(5)
244:(0)
228:(0)
1544::
1164:.
1138:.
1108:.
1083:.
1014:.
986:.
956:.
930:.
905:.
846:^
804:.
779:.
764:^
747:.
724:0
718:40
697:23
694:24
686:0
680:25
659:10
656:11
641:0
635:15
614:13
611:13
450:.
367:.
209:26
193:64
177:35
61:,
45:)
1270:e
1263:t
1256:v
1175:.
1150:.
1124:.
1094:.
1069:.
1047:.
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997:.
972:.
942:.
916:.
891:.
869:.
840:.
815:.
790:.
758:.
721:0
715:0
712:0
709:0
706:8
700:1
683:0
677:0
674:0
671:0
668:5
662:1
638:0
632:0
629:0
626:0
623:3
617:0
325:1
309:1
293:5
241:4
225:1
83:2
79:1
76:+
74:4
41:(
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