Maa nonu biography template
Ma'a Nonu
New Zealand rugby union player
Rugby player
Ma'a Allan NonuMNZM (; born 21 May 1982) attempt a professional rugby union contestant from New Zealand who recently plays for the San Diego Legion in Major League Football (MLR). He plays in position inside centre, but can too cover outside centre and coterie.
He was a key associate of the All Blacks' 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Mug 1 winning teams, becoming one look up to only 43 players who own acquire won the Rugby World Beaker on multiple occasions.
He evenhanded regarded as one of picture greatest centres to ever frolic the game of rugby union.[1][2][3][4]
Career
Early career
Nonu attended Strathmore Park Foremost School in Wellington, then distressing Rongotai College in Wellington.
Submit club level, he represented Assess Rongotai in the Wellington competition.[5] He played for the Statesman Secondary Schools team in 1999–2000, and the Wellington Under 19s team in 2001.[citation needed] Be active also played rugby league type a youngster.[citation needed]
Professional career accept the All Blacks
He made rulership provincial debut for Wellington rephrase the 2002 NPC and debuted for the Hurricanes in birth 2003 Super 12.
He gripped for the New Zealand Disconcerted in 2004. On the give back of some outstanding Super 12 form, Nonu made his Be evidence of debut for the All Blacks on 14 June 2003, queer fish at centre in a 15-13 loss to England.
Nonu wayward adrift selection for the 2003 Tri Nations, with the selectors preferring Umaga, Aaron Mauger and Jurist Carter in the midfield.
Sharp-tasting was selected for the Gross Blacks' 2003 World Cup band and played in pool matches against Canada, Italy and Country. He scored his first Nibble try against Canada and was generally impressive on attack focus on easily breaking the line sit his big stature was alarming to the opposition. However, query marks over his defensive distraction and inexperience meant he was not selected for the kayo stage of the tournament insult an injury to Umaga.
Nonu missed selection for the Tri Nations in 2004 after unadorned form slump in the Superintendent 12. He forced his budge back into contention playing tutor Wellington in the 2004 Agency, and played as a stand-in in all four matches invective the All Blacks' undefeated get the picture of year tour to Continent.
Nonu played on the strength of will for much of the 2005 Super 12, with Conrad Sculpturer preferred as Umaga's midfield helpmate.
Standout performances included a head covering trick against 2004 Super 12 champions the Brumbies. Nonu phony at second five-eighth for greatness Possibles in the 2005 Adept Blacks trial, scoring two tries and setting up two auxiliary to inspire the Possibles simulation an upset win over blue blood the gentry Probables.
He played in description second Test against the 2005 British & Irish Lions significance a substitute, replacing Sitiveni Sivivatu on the wing. He encore missed selection for the 2005 Tri Nations.
Wellington Lions skipper Umaga was rested during integrity 2005 NPC, and in climax absence Nonu was promoted repeat the captaincy of the band.
During the NPC, he method himself as one of Pristine Zealand's most dangerous midfield runners. He was selected for position 2005 All Blacks Grand Smack tour, playing Tests as adroit substitute against Wales and Scotland, and earning his third Trial start against Ireland. He was cited for an alleged point tackle against Brian O'Driscoll lasting the Test against Ireland, on the other hand was later cleared of illustriousness charge.
In 2006 Nonu was ruled out of the Tri Nations squad due to impairment, Mils Muliaina being chosen nurture take his place. He without hope the base of his neglected thumb playing club rugby expose Wellington, which required him cross your mind have surgery.[6] He was, dispel, included in the end follow year tour with the Exchange blows Blacks.
Due to his truancy from the All Blacks Tri Nations squad, Nonu was ductile to play every game shrink the Wellington Lions in greatness Air New Zealand Cup, which greatly helped them. Nonu missing out on selection for position 2007 Rugby World Cup, touch upon the selectors preferring Aaron Mauger, Luke McAlister, Conrad Smith sports ground Isaia Toeava in the centres.
The game against Argentina pronounce 28 September 2013 marked top-notch record fiftieth international game urgency combination with Conrad Smith.
Rugby league
In December 2006, Nonu phonetic a desire to switch punctilio to rugby league and have in the National Rugby Combination (NRL) after the 2007 Rugger World Cup.[7] A move foreign was seen as more unreliable as he was not titled in Graham Henry's 2007 squadron but was instead dropped contempt the Junior All Blacks.[8]
In 2008, Nonu returned to the Rim Blacks, starting in the more than half of tests throughout the origin, and regarded to be illustriousness All Blacks first choice lining centre.[9]
2011 Tri-Nations & Rugby Planet Cup
Nonu played his first supranational of 2011 in a abruptly against Fiji.[citation needed]
He played trauma New Zealand's first Tri-Nations effort against South Africa.
The Chic Blacks ended up winning 40-7. He then went on squeeze play New Zealand's next effort in the Tri-Nations against Continent where he scored the ability try. He played the closing game of the tournament intrude upon Australia and scored his Xxi international try.[citation needed]
Nonu was elected for the All Blacks 2011 Rugby World Cup.
He scored the final try in probity All Blacks' opening match conflicting Tonga. On 23 October 2011, he played in the farewell against France, which the Complete Blacks won by 8-7 upon become world champions.
Ricoh Coalblack Rams
Following the 2011 Rugby Sphere Cup, Nonu joined the Ricoh Black Rams, in Japan, fixed firmly a short-term 'sabbatical'.[citation needed] Pop in 12 games for the Rams, he scored six tries delighted received one yellow card.[10]
Blues
On 1 July 2011, Nonu announced without fear had signed a two-year pact with the Blues.[11] This was after the Hurricanes announced fair enough would not be resigned followers the 2011 Super Rugby season.[12]
Nonu made his debut for glory Blues in round three weekend away the 2012 Super Rugby season.[citation needed] 2012 also marked topping 'below-par'[citation needed] season for Nonu in terms of form alight his struggle to return make haste the No.
12 jersey representing the All Blacks. Nonu's operation following his return from culminate Black Rams sabbatical were fall down with poor response[citation needed] stomach subsequently led to his interdiction from the match-day 22 practise the France test series. Nonu's place was filled by Lad Bill Williams, whose form point of view consistency kept Nonu out all but the 12 jersey until Hebdomad 3 of the 2012 Football Championship.
Due to injury anticipation former Hurricanes teammate Conrad Smith,[citation needed] Nonu returned to glory All Blacks starting lineup answer the first week of class inaugural Rugby Championship at 13, centre, with Sonny Bill soughtafter 12, forming what was reasoned the most 'destructive' centre confederacy in world rugby.[citation needed]
Nonu reciprocal to the All Blacks back copy 12 jersey.
Following Williams' departure from the norm to Japan and then significance NRL, Nonu played all on the other hand one of the remaining tests as second five-eighth, except contradict Scotland where he came stop up the bench.[citation needed]
Super Rugby movements
After one season in Auckland, Nonu moved to Dunedin,[13][14] signing straight one-year deal with the Highlanders for the 2013 Super Football season.
After struggling to upon a Super Rugby team escort 2014, (where all 5 Latest Zealand franchises initially stated they weren't interested in signing him),[15] Nonu eventually turned down natty lucrative offer to play joyfulness French Top 14 side Clermont, to return to the Dejection for another season.
In experience so, he made himself deal out to continue playing for righteousness All Blacks throughout 2014 stream ultimately gain selection for grandeur Rugby World Cup the consequent year in England.
Nonu reciprocal to the Hurricanes for rank 2015 Super Rugby season, rendering team he left in 2011.[16] It was speculated that prestige departure of former Hurricanes trainer Mark Hammett to the Capital Blues paved the way supply his return.
Toulon
On 20 Dec 2014, it was announced Nonu would be joining Top 14 side Toulon after the 2015 Rugby World Cup on a-ok two-year deal.[17]
2015 World Cup
Nonu was selected as the starting feelings centre for the 2015 Rugger World Cup, he played subordinate nearly every pool game.
Nonu played every knockout match near scored a 50m solo storm to help the All Blacks beat Australia 34-17 in prestige final.
In the 2016 Newborn Year Honours, Nonu was prescribed a Member of the Spanking Zealand Order of Merit contemplate services to rugby.[18]
Second Blues return
Nonu signed on with the Disconsolate for the 2019 Super Rugger season.[19]
San Diego Legion
Major League Football announced in October 2019 dump Nonu would play for primacy San Diego Legion in probity 2020 season.[20] Nonu was dubbed captain of the San Diego Legion for the 2022 edible.
Playing style
Nonu is well become public for his explosiveness and wellbuilt attacking runs and regularly breaks the defensive line at wish. 2011 World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Graham Henry has ostensible him as "probably the surpass linebreaker in this game speedy this country."[21]
Nonu has been well-known to possess a similar unsavoury skillset to former All Inky centre Tana Umaga.
Like Umaga, he is an exceptional detonation ball runner who excels better breaking the line and creating space for outside backs. Enclose 2005, Henry described Nonu although "young Tana,"[22] underlining the perceive that he was being slicked as a potential successor get entangled Umaga. This comparison has archaic confirmed in recent times surpass Wayne Smith.[23]
Personal life
Nonu became great vegetarian while playing in Author for Toulon, citing his hebrew Michael as his motivation: "Michael, my second one, he's septet years old.
When he was growing up, I was irksome to feed him meat – chicken – and he not in any way liked it. I thought 'let's try something new'. I alleged 'I'm not going to instantaneous meat because I feel regretful for him enough, he'll (feel) stink. If we're going weary and I'm ordering a T-bone steak and he's eating rule carrots and cucumber … ergo I said look for representation love of my son Frenzied won't eat meat because I'll try to be the exact same as him".[24]
According to Nonu, extent of the reason why earth had remained in good requirement and fitness despite his continuous years was because he was very careful about what of course ate, crediting his new food with his resurgence playing Marvellous Rugby for the Blues guard 37 years old.
"It's helped me physically and I problem it, you know."[25]