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England select Tongan-born former league superstar

Gloucester's Lesley Vainikolo, left, is tackled by Bristol's Rob Higgitt in Gloucester, England, on Dec. 29 last year. PHOTO: AP

Lesley Vainikolo has become the latest player to show that where you are born and which country you represent need not be one and the same thing after the Tongan-born former New Zealand rugby league wing was selected in England's Six Nations rugby union squad.

For years there has been a steady stream of rugby talent flowing from the Pacific Islands to New Zealand and Australia.

But European nations haven't been averse to drawing in players from overseas either with prop forward Matt Stevens, born in South Africa, also included by coach Brian Ashton in his Six Nations party.

League players moving to union since the latter went professional in the 1990s has also become an increasingly common practice.

And the evidence suggests that it is wings and fullbacks who are most likely to make a successful switch.

England will certainly hope Vainikolo can make a similar impact to that of cross-code back-three great Jason Robinson, their lone try-scorer in the 2003 World Cup final win over Australia, who retired following the team's defeat by South Africa in last year's final in Paris.

Vainikolo, now of Gloucester, has played just nine senior club union games since his pre-season arrival from English rugby league giants Bradford but his nine tries make him the leading scorer in the Premiership.

Ashton was in no doubt about the value of having the 28-year-old Vainikolo on board after the powerful 1.88m and 114kg flyer scored 149 tries in 152 games for the Bradford Bulls in the Super League.

"It has not quite been a seamless transition, but it has not been far off. He doesn't look like a league player playing union. He's powerful but he's a good footballer with good footwork and he hasn't been caught out defensively," Ashton said.
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