Former ‘Ikale Tahi player signs as player-coach in UK [1]
Thursday, August 6, 2020 - 17:46
Former 'Ikale Tahi player, Soane Tonga’uiha (38) has signed up with Chinnor Rugby Club in the UK as player-coach. He is a former Tongan international player.
Chinnor Club said, the Tongan powerhouse adds 130kg to the front row bolstering their pack for the 2020/21 National League 1 season.
As the forwards coach, Tonga’uiha completes Chinnor’s coaching team with Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe, Attack Coach, Craig Hampson and Backs Coach, Delon Armitage.
He joins the Club from Championship side Ampthill, but he is best known for his time with Northampton Saints, where he made 184 appearances during a seven-year spell at Franklin's Gardens.
In addition, he played age group rugby for New Zealand, before going on to win 18 caps for his native Tonga, for whom he represented at the 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups.
Tonga'uiha, whose previous clubs include Auckland, Bedford, Racing Metro, Oyonnax and Bristol, also joins Chinnor’s Community Department, which is run by Community Group as a Community Coach.
Running his own business, the Tonga’uiha Rugby Academy, he is looking forward to helping the Club on and off the pitch.
“It’s great to be at Chinnor RFC Thame and wanted to join partly because of the history of the Club.
“I also played here a couple of years ago for Ampthill and it’s a good set-up. I’m looking forward to mixing with the boys and I’d like to pass on any experience I have to the rest of the squad. I run my own business which works with juniors, I started that two years ago, and I’m enjoying that,” he said.
Chinnor RFC Thame Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe said, Chinnor now boasts hundreds of Premiership games and dozens of international caps within its coaching team.
“We set our sights back in May on becoming a player-centred club and having a player-coach with Tonga'uiha’s experience will be invaluable in delivering this,” he said.