David Feao (born 6 October 1990) is a rugby union player who plays at prop for Tonga. He has previously played for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby.

David Feao
Full nameDavid Feao
Date of birth (1990-06-10) 10 June 1990 (age 34)
Place of birthBrisbane, Australia
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight128 kg (20 st 2 lb; 282 lb)
SchoolBrisbane State High School
Notable relative(s)Willie Feʻao (father)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 Brisbane City 8 (0)
2015 NSW Country Eagles 5 (5)
2016–2017 La Rochelle [1] 16 (0)
2018 Narbonne 11 (5)
2018–2019 Leicester Tigers 12 (5)
Correct as of 15 May 2019
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010 Tonga U20 4 (0)
2018–present Tonga 3 (0)
Correct as of 23 June 2018

Family and early life

edit

David Feao was born in Brisbane, Australia. He attended Brisbane State High School and was selected for the Australian Schoolboys rugby team in 2008.[2] Feao played his club rugby for Souths in Brisbane.[3] His father, Willie Feao, had played for Tonga at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.[4]

Rugby career

edit

As a 19-year-old, Feao played in the 2009 Queensland Premier Rugby grand final for Souths Rugby Club, where the team was runner-up to Brothers.[4] The following year he played for the Tonga U-20 team at the 2010 Junior World Championship.[4]

In 2014, Feao was selected for Tonga A in the Pacific Rugby Cup.[5] Later that season he played for the Brisbane City team that won Australia's inaugural National Rugby Championship.[6] He transferred to the NSW Country Eagles in 2015 before signing a short-term contract with French club La Rochelle, initially for the final three months of the 2015–16 season,[7] then extended for a further season.[8]

He played for the Pro D2 side, Narbonne as a medical joker from January 2018,[9] before joining Leicester Tigers in August 2018.[10][11] Feao made his Leicester debut on 1 September 2019 against Exeter Chiefs,[12] and scored his only try for the club in a 2018-19 Premiership Rugby Cup defeat against Saracens on 28 October 2018.[13] On 15 May 2019 he was announced as one of the players to leave Leicester following the end of the 2018-19 Premiership Rugby season.[14]

References

edit
  1. ^ "David Feao". Stade Rochaelais. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Australian Schoolboys teams 2004–2015". Rugby News. 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  3. ^ Heslehurst, Brayden (22 August 2014). "David Feao hopes playing for Brisbane City in the NRC could help him play at 2015 World Cup". Quest Southeast. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "David Feao". Reds Rugby. 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  5. ^ "Pampas XV beat Tonga". Pasión y Deporte (in Spanish). 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Brisbane City v Perth Spirit at Brisbane". ESPN Scrum. 1 November 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  7. ^ "Le pilier australien David Feao signe à La Rochelle en tant que joker médical". L'Équipe (in French). 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Stade Rochelais: 2016/2017". Le Club Rugby (in French). 16 August 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  9. ^ "RCNM : David Feao arrive en joker médical". L'Independant (in French). 2 January 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Rugby Inside Line". Bristol Live. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  11. ^ "David Feao: Leicester Tigers sign Tonga prop forward". BBC Sport. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Five players set to make Gallagher Premiership debuts for Leicester Tigers against Exeter Chiefs". Leicester Mercury. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Leicester Tigers begin Premiership Cup campaign with 29-21 defeat at Saracens". Leicester Mercury. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Brendon O'Connor and Mike Fitzgerald among huge number leaving Leicester Tigers at the end of the season". Leicester Mercury. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
edit