Asaeli Ai Valu (ヴァル アサエリ愛, Baru Asaeri Ai, born 7 May 1989) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Japan Rugby League One club Saitama Wild Knights. Born in Tonga, he represents Japan at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.[1][2][3]
International career
After 4 Top League seasons for Panasonic Wild Knights Ai Valu received his first call-up to his adopted country, Japan's senior squad ahead of the 2017 end-of-year rugby union internationals.[4]
Personal life
Valu received Japanese Citizenship in 2017. He is the son of former rugby union player Fakahau Valu, who represented Tonga at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.[5]
In Valu's university times, during the rugby off-season, he worked part-time at a farm-house and appeared at the Nippon Television variety show The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!.[6]
Upon acquiring Japanese citizenship, he added the first kanji of his wife's name (Ai (愛)) to his Japanese name. His wife's great-uncle is the comedian Kinichi Hagimoto. Although Valu himself has not met Hagimoto, he has been received with a phone call.[7]
References
- ^ "アサエリ・ヴァル 選手プロフィール". ジャパンラグビートップリーグ (in Japanese).
- ^ "Asaeli Ai Valu ESPN Scrum Player Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ "Asaeli Ai Valu Japan Rugby Player Profile" (in Japanese). Japan Rugby. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ^ "Rugby: Leitch to lead Japan in autumn tests". Kyodo News. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Live it TONGA : Son of Former National Rugby Player Fakahau Valu & Lioneti, now living in Japan". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "出張DASH村 2013年2月10日". Tetsuwan Dash official website. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ "【勇敢な桜戦士】バル・アサエリ愛は正真正銘「欽ちゃんファミリー」妻の大叔父は萩本欽一、電話で激励受けた"". Chunichi Sports. Chunichi Shimbun. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
External links
- Asaeli Ai Valu at ESPNscrum
- Asaeli Ai Valu at ItsRugby.co.uk
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