Rodney So’oialo is a blockbusting No 8 with the size, speed and skill to play anywhere in the back row.
While all of his 2006 starting appearances came at No 8, he started one match in 2005, the third Test against the British & Irish Lions, in the No 7 jersey. Renowned for his exceptional fitness, So’oialo was one of just five players to play in 11 or more of the All Blacks 13 matches during the 2006 Test season.
Blessed with the athleticism to thrive in the All Blacks free-running environment, So’oialo can still be relied on to deliver some hard-nosed defence and surging bursts off the back of the scrum. He captained the Hurricanes through their successful 2006 Rebel Sport Super 14 season and played in every match.
Career Notes
• Captained Wellington in the later stages of the 2005 Air New Zealand NPC and in 2004.
• Was in the New Zealand Sevens team that won the Commonwealth Games gold medal at Manchester in 2002.
• Has represented New Zealand at six international Sevens tournaments, of which five were won, including the 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Argentina.
• Scored three tries for the victorious New Zealand Under 21 team at the International Under 21 Tournament in 2000.
• Played at fullback for Wellington Secondary Schools as a fifth-former before moving into the forward pack the following year and on to continued Wellington age-grade representation.
• His brother Stephen plays halfback for Samoa at XVs and Sevens.
New Zealand Representative Teams
New Zealand Under 21 in 2000
New Zealand Sevens in 2000–2002
All Blacks in 2002–2008
Stats - Below figures correct as at 1 July 2008
Provincial Caps 52
Provincial Points 55 (11t)
Provincial Debut 2000 v Taranaki
Super Rugby Caps 76
Super Rugby Points 50 (10t)
Super Rugby Debut 2001 v Reds
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FULL NAME |
Rodney So'oialo |
BORN |
Wednesday, 3 October 1979 in Moto'otua |
AGE |
30 |
PHYSICAL |
1.90m, 107kg |
POSITION |
Loose Forward |
LAST SCHOOL |
Mana College |
RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from) |
Wests |
PROVINCE |
Wellington |
SUPER 14 TEAM |
Hurricanes |
RUGBY NICKNAME |
Rodders |
ALL BLACK DEBUT |
Saturday, 23 November 2002
v Wales at Cardiff
aged 23 years, 51 days |
INTERNATIONAL DEBUT |
Saturday, 23 November 2002
v Wales at Cardiff
aged 23 years, 51 days |
LAST TEST |
Saturday, 14 November 2009
v Italy at Milan
aged 30 years, 42 days |
ALL BLACK TESTS |
62 (5 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK GAMES |
1 (0 as Captain) |
TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES |
63 (5 as Captain) |
ALL BLACK TEST POINTS |
30pts (6t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK GAME POINTS |
0pts |
TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS |
30pts (6t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m) |
ALL BLACK NUMBER |
1028 |
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The All Black Games that So'oialo played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced |
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Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card |
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2002 |
23 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 43-17 |
2003 |
14 Jun vs England at Wellington 13-15 (-) |
19 Jul vs South Africa at Pretoria 52-16 (+) |
11 Oct vs Italy at Melbourne 70-7 (+) |
17 Oct vs Canada at Melbourne 68-6 (-) |
24 Oct vs Tonga at Brisbane 91-7 |
2 Nov vs Wales at Sydney 53-37 (+) |
2004 |
20 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 26-25 |
27 Nov vs France at Paris 45-6 |
2005 |
10 Jun vs Fiji at Albany 91-0 |
25 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 21-3 |
2 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 48-18 |
9 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Auckland 38-19 |
6 Aug vs South Africa at Capetown 16-22 |
13 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 30-13 (-) |
27 Aug vs South Africa at Dunedin 31-27 |
3 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 34-24 |
5 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 41-3 |
12 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 45-7 (+) |
19 Nov vs England at London 23-19 |
2006 |
10 Jun vs Ireland at Hamilton 34-23 |
17 Jun vs Ireland at Auckland 27-17 |
8 Jul vs Australia at Christchurch 32-12 (-) |
22 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 35-17 |
29 Jul vs Australia at Brisbane 13-9 |
19 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 34-27 (-) |
2 Sep vs South Africa at Rustenberg 20-21 |
5 Nov vs England at London 41-20 (+) |
11 Nov vs France at Lyon 47-3 |
18 Nov vs France at Paris 23-11 (-) |
25 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 45-10 (-) |
2007 |
2 Jun vs France at Auckland 42-11 (+) |
9 Jun vs France at Wellington 61-10 |
23 Jun vs South Africa at Durban 26-21 |
30 Jun vs Australia at Melbourne 15-20 (-) |
14 Jul vs South Africa at Christchurch 33-6 (-) |
21 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 26-12 |
8 Sep vs Italy at Marseille 76-14 |
15 Sep vs Portugal at Lyon 108-13 (+) |
23 Sep vs Scotland at Edinburgh 40-0 |
6 Oct vs France at Cardiff 18-20 |
2008 |
7 Jun vs Ireland at Wellington 21-11 (-) |
14 Jun vs England at Auckland 37-20 |
21 Jun vs England at Christchurch 44-12 |
5 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 19-8 (Captain) |
12 Jul vs South Africa at Dunedin 28-30 (Captain) |
26 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 19-34 (Captain) |
2 Aug vs Australia at Auckland 39-10 |
16 Aug vs South Africa at Cape Town 19-0 (-) |
3 Sep vs Samoa at New Plymouth 101-14 (-) (Captain) |
13 Sep vs Australia at Brisbane 28-24 |
1 Nov vs Australia at Hong Kong 19-14 |
15 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 22-3 (-) |
22 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 29-9 |
29 Nov vs England at London 32-6 |
2009 |
18 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 22-16 (-) |
25 Jul vs South Africa at Bloemfontein 19-28 (-) |
1 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 19-31 |
22 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 19-18 (+) |
19 Sep vs Australia at Wellington 33-6 (+) |
31 Oct vs Australia at Tokyo 32-19 (-) |
14 Nov vs Italy at Milan 20-6 (Captain) |
5 Dec vs Barbarians Club at London 18-25 |
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