Roy Kinikinilau
Encyclopedia
Roy Kinikinilau is a rugby union
player who plays for the Ricoh Black Rams
in the Top League
in Japan. A powerful winger, Kinkinilau is also an accomplished rugby sevens
player. Born in Tonga
, he represented New Zealand
internationally in rugby sevens competitions.
Kinkinilau spent four seasons at Wellington before transferring to Waikato
for the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup
. Although he helped Waikato to a championship-winning campaign, he didn't play in the finals against his old team, Wellington.
Following the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
, he signed in Japan.
He made his debut for the Hurricanes in the 2004 Super 12 season
, and impressively scored 5 tries in only 9 appearances. However, he was not included in the side for the 2005 season.
For 2006
, Kinikinilau was drafted to the Highlanders. He started the season with a bang, with 4 tries from his first 4 starts, but came off the boil as the season went along, ending the year on the substitute's bench. He did, however, lead the side with 5 tries.
Kinikinilau was on the move again for the 2007 Super 14 season
, this time drafted to the Chiefs. He started 12 of the team's 13 games and scored another four tries.
. He has remained with the team through 2010-11, where he scored 5 tries in 9 appearances.
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who plays for the Ricoh Black Rams
Ricoh Black Rams
Ricoh Black Rams is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Placed 10th in the 2004-5 season which meant it had to win a play-off against one of the top regional teams to stay in the league, as it did.Slogan for 2006 season: TAFU...
in the Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
in Japan. A powerful winger, Kinkinilau is also an accomplished rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
player. Born in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, he represented New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
internationally in rugby sevens competitions.
Provincial Rugby
Kinkinilau was born in Tonga but came to New Zealand at age 6. He made his provincial debut for Wellington in 2002 at number eight but due to his pace and athleticism was converted to a wing the following season.Kinkinilau spent four seasons at Wellington before transferring to Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
for the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup
2006 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Friday 28 July 2006, and the Grand Final was won by Waikato on 21 October 2006....
. Although he helped Waikato to a championship-winning campaign, he didn't play in the finals against his old team, Wellington.
Following the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
, he signed in Japan.
Super Rugby
Despite an admirable try-scoring record, Kinikinilau never really found a settled place in the Super Rugby competition.He made his debut for the Hurricanes in the 2004 Super 12 season
2004 Super 12 season
The 2004 Super 12 season was the ninth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2004, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
, and impressively scored 5 tries in only 9 appearances. However, he was not included in the side for the 2005 season.
For 2006
2006 Super 14 season
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the...
, Kinikinilau was drafted to the Highlanders. He started the season with a bang, with 4 tries from his first 4 starts, but came off the boil as the season went along, ending the year on the substitute's bench. He did, however, lead the side with 5 tries.
Kinikinilau was on the move again for the 2007 Super 14 season
2007 Super 14 season
The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby...
, this time drafted to the Chiefs. He started 12 of the team's 13 games and scored another four tries.
Japan
Kinikinilau left New Zealand in 2007 to sign in Japan with the Ricoh Black RamsRicoh Black Rams
Ricoh Black Rams is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Placed 10th in the 2004-5 season which meant it had to win a play-off against one of the top regional teams to stay in the league, as it did.Slogan for 2006 season: TAFU...
. He has remained with the team through 2010-11, where he scored 5 tries in 9 appearances.
Rugby Sevens
Kinikinilau was a dynamic rugby sevens player who exploded onto the international scene in style, scoring 37 tries in 7 competitions in 2002 and 2003. He continued as an elite sevens player through 2007, when he helped New Zealand win the 2006-07 IRB Sevens World Series2006-07 IRB Sevens World Series
2006–07 IRB Sevens World Series was the eighth of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000.New Zealand won the 2006-07 series by winning the final tournament in Edinburgh...
.