Asaeli Ai Valu
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]
 Ai Valu representing the Sunwolves during Super Rugby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 May 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Tofoa, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (254 lb; 18 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Shochi Fukaya High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Saitama Institute of Technology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Fakahau Valu (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
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.[4]
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!!.[5]
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.[6]
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.
- "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