Vilimoni Delasau
Encyclopedia
Vilimoni Waqatabu Delasau (born 12 July 1977 in Sorokaba, Ba
Fiji
) is a Fiji
an rugby union
footballer. He plays as a wing. His nickname is Delz.
and he played for Lautoka in the National Provincial Rugby Tournament
in Fiji
. He was picked to represent Fiji
in the Rugby Sevens
. He scored 85 tries for the Fiji sevens. In 1999 Delasau was named Player of the Year at the Fiji Rugby Awards after scoring 82 tries in the season. He earned his first Test cap against the US Eagles
in June 2000 after impressing in the sevens form of the game the previous year. He also holds the record for scoring the most tries in a sevens game with 6 tries and also the record of most tries in a tournament with 16 tries, followed closely by fellow Fijian winger, Rupeni Caucau
on 14 tries.
He then went to Japan
and played there for two years before going to France and playing for the Mont-de-Marsan
rugby club where he played 5 games for them scoring 3 tries. After that he returned to Fiji and was chosen to represent the Canterbury
in the NPC
. He later represented the Crusaders in the Super 12 competition and in late 2005, he represented the Highlanders in the Super 14
competition. After his short stint, he moved to France
to join ASM Clermont Auvergne
where he represented them in the Top 14 and in the ECC
competition. He scored a few good tries for clermont including a 90 metre run against London Wasps
in the 2007–08 Heineken Cup which was awarded the try of the season. He joined his new club, US Montauban
after his contract with Clermont expired and he chose not to renew it. He represented Fiji
in the 2003
and 2007 Rugby World Cup
and some said he was the best right winger in the competition. He was also part of the Fiji sevens at the 2001
, 2005
and 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens
.
In April 2010 he joined Toulouse
as a medical joker as they suffered numerous injuries. Montauban suffered a points deduction for financial irregularities and will be relegated at the end of the 2009/2010 season. He scored his first try against Castres on just his second game for his new team.
Ba (town)
Ba is a town in Fiji, 37 kilometres from Lautoka and 62 kilometres from Nadi, inland from the coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. Covering an area of 327 square kilometres, it had a population of 14,596 at the 1996 census. The town is built on the banks of the Ba River, after which it is...
Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
) is a Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an rugby union
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...
footballer. He plays as a wing. His nickname is Delz.
Career
He grew up in the Town of BaBa (town)
Ba is a town in Fiji, 37 kilometres from Lautoka and 62 kilometres from Nadi, inland from the coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. Covering an area of 327 square kilometres, it had a population of 14,596 at the 1996 census. The town is built on the banks of the Ba River, after which it is...
and he played for Lautoka in the National Provincial Rugby Tournament
Sanyo Cup
The Digicel Cup is Fiji's national provincial championship. The competition runs from May to September and is contested for between the country’s top 12 provincial sides...
in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. He was picked to represent Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team (sevens)
The Fiji Sevens side is one of the most popular and successful Sevens teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976. Fiji has also won the Sevens World Cup twice, winning that event in 1997 and 2005...
in the 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...
. He scored 85 tries for the Fiji sevens. In 1999 Delasau was named Player of the Year at the Fiji Rugby Awards after scoring 82 tries in the season. He earned his first Test cap against the US Eagles
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
in June 2000 after impressing in the sevens form of the game the previous year. He also holds the record for scoring the most tries in a sevens game with 6 tries and also the record of most tries in a tournament with 16 tries, followed closely by fellow Fijian winger, Rupeni Caucau
Rupeni Caucaunibuca
-Early years:Caucaunibuca or "Rups", as called by those who knew him, grew up most of his life in the village. Caucaunibuca's father was a church minister based around the Bua province on the northern parts of Fiji so his family frequently moved....
on 14 tries.
He then went to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and played there for two years before going to France and playing for the Mont-de-Marsan
Stade Montois
Stade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...
rugby club where he played 5 games for them scoring 3 tries. After that he returned to Fiji and was chosen to represent the Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
in the NPC
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
. He later represented the Crusaders in the Super 12 competition and in late 2005, he represented the Highlanders in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition. After his short stint, he moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to join ASM Clermont Auvergne
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
where he represented them in the Top 14 and in the ECC
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
competition. He scored a few good tries for clermont including a 90 metre run against London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
in the 2007–08 Heineken Cup which was awarded the try of the season. He joined his new club, US Montauban
US Montauban
US Montauban were a French rugby union club, which competed in the Top 14 competition between 2007 and 2010, after being promoted from Rugby Pro D2 for the 2006-07 season...
after his contract with Clermont expired and he chose not to renew it. He represented Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
in the 2003
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
and 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
and some said he was the best right winger in the competition. He was also part of the Fiji sevens at the 2001
2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens
The 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens or the Melrose Cup was the 3rd edition of the tournament and held in Argentina. New Zealand defeated Australia to win the tournament for the first time. This was the first major rugby event ever held in South America....
, 2005
2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens
-The winning team::Fiji national rugby sevens team*Waisale Serevi*Sireli Bobo*Vilimoni Delasau*William Ryder*Marika Vunibaka*Semisi Naevo*Nasoni Roko*Ifereimi Rawaqa*Jone Daunivucu*Lepani Nabuliwaqa*Norman Ligairi*Viliame Satala*Apolosi Satala...
and 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens
2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens
The 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup was the fifth edition of the Rugby sevens world cup. The International Rugby Board selected Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as the host venue for the tournament ahead of bids from four other countries. The format included nine direct qualifiers and a further...
.
In April 2010 he joined Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
as a medical joker as they suffered numerous injuries. Montauban suffered a points deduction for financial irregularities and will be relegated at the end of the 2009/2010 season. He scored his first try against Castres on just his second game for his new team.