Neemia Tialata and Sione Lauaki ink deal with Bayonne – Rugby news
French Top 14 side Bayonne has confirmed the signing of Neemia Tialata and Sione Lauaki to help strengthen their squad for next season’s campaign. The deal has resulted in the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) losing another player to a Northern Hemisphere
club.
Both players are no longer a part of New Zealand’s international outfit, yet their signing definitely brings value to Bayonne and changes the overall outlook of the team.
Wainuiomata born Neemia Tialata, renowned for skills at the prop position for both sides of the scrum, has signed a two-year deal with the French club. He will join Bayonne at the end of the Super Rugby championships 2011 where
he is representing Hurricanes and has the possibility to extend the contract by one year.
28-year-old has played 43 games for the All Blacks after he made his debut in 2005 against Wales and represented the All Blacks in the 2005 Rugby World Cup. Tialata joined Hurricanes in 2004 and remained an integral player for
the team in the past five years. He last represented All Blacks in a test against Wales in June 2010.
Sione Lauaki on the other hand was already in the Northern Hemisphere where he has played for the Bayonne French Top 14 rivals Clermont Auvergne. Clermont Auvergne are in the play-offs of the French Top 14.
Former All Blacks international is a talented player and has demonstrated his skills at both number 8 and flanker positions. Lauaki has signed a three-year deal with the Bayonne and will join them at the start of next season.
The Tonga born player has expressed his ambitions to help Bayonne become a formidable unit at the domestic and European level. Lauaki Said, "I'm a competitor, Bayonne are an ambitious club, I want to help them to continue to
evolve."
Lauaki previously has played for Chiefs in super rugby champions, Waikato provincial side and also represented All Blacks at international level including starting in two 2007 Rugby World Cup matches.
The 29-year-old has played 17 international games and played his last game in All Blacks colours in September 2008 against Samoa.
Bayonne missed out of the French Top 14 play-offs by a single point this season. Bayonne were placed at the middle of the table at the seventh spot. Out of 26 games in the season, Bayonne has won 16 games and bagged 71 points. They have won the same number
of the games as the third ranked Castres.
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