Izaia Perese (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Australian rugby union & league player

Izaia Perese

Personal information
Born (1997-05-17) 17 May 1997 (age 27)Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight 95 kg (209 lb; 14 st 13 lb)[1]
Playing information
Rugby union
Position Centre, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015–18 Queensland Country 12 9 0 0 45 2016–18 Reds 17 4 0 0 20 2020 Bayonne 5 0 0 0 0 2021–2024 NSW Waratahs 46 8 0 0 40 2024 Leicester Tigers 4 1 0 0 5 Total 84 22 0 0 110 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2014 Australia U18 2 0 0 0 0 2017 Australia U20 4 4 0 0 20 2021–2023 Australia 3 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position Wing, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2019–20 Brisbane Broncos 2 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2019 Queensland Residents 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [2]As of 27 October 2024

Izaia Perese (born 17 May 1997) is an Australian professional rugby player who plays centre and wing for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. He previously played for the Super Rugby club, Waratahs and the Australia national team.

He started his professional career in rugby union, playing as an outside back for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby and for Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship. [3][4] [5] He has also played for Bayonne in France's Top 14 and Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, the Australian rugby league competition.

Perese was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

He played his junior rugby league for Brisbane Brothers in Stafford and attended Wavell State High School.[6][7] In 2013, Perese played for the Norths Devils in the Cyril Connell Cup and represented the Queensland under-16 rugby league team, while holding a scholarship with the North Queensland Cowboys.[8][9]

While attending Anglican Church Grammar School, he played alongside future NRL players Kalyn Ponga, Jaydn Su'A and Brodie Croft, as well as future professional Rugby Union players in Liam Wright, Angus Scott-Young, Mack Mason and Harley Fox in their 2014 title-winning first XV team. Later that year, he was selected for the Australian Schoolboys rugby union team.[10]

In March 2020 Perese pleaded guilty to supplying a dangerous drug in September 2019, but had a probation order for drug charges removed by a court to allow him to travel overseas.[11]

In 2015, Perese began playing for Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship. In 2016, he joined the Queensland Reds senior squad, playing 17 games over three seasons.[1] In August 2017, he was named in the Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship but did not play a game.[12]

In December 2018, Perese was released from the last year of his contract with the Reds.[13][14]

In May 2020 Izaia Perese announced his return to Rugby Union, playing for Bayonne in the French top 14.[15]

Perese signed on with the Waratahs until 2024[16] having previously been used as a Winger for the Reds, Perese made the switch to Centre while playing for the Waratahs.

In March 2024 it was announced that Perese will be joining the English Rugby club Leicester Tigers on a multi-year deal. [17] Perese made his debut for Leicester on 21 September 2024, getting yellow carded in a 17-14 win against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.

Rugby league career

[edit]

Perese joined the Brisbane Broncos on a train-and-trial deal, later earning a full-time NRL contract with the club.[18][6] He began the season playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup, representing the Queensland Residents side in their win over New South Wales.[19]

In round 22 of the 2019 NRL season, Perese made his NRL debut for Brisbane in their 24–12 win against the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.[20]

On 18 February, Perese was stood down indefinitely by the Brisbane club after being charged by police with drug-related offences. Perese was later granted bail and is due back in court on 9 March 2020. Brisbane CEO Paul White released a statement saying “Standing down Izaia is not a judgement of his guilt or innocence, but recognition that this is a serious matter, We have discussed our course of action and the reasoning behind it with Izaia, and he understands the action we have taken. We will review the matter as it moves through the legal process".[21]

  1. ^ a b c Izaia Perese. RUGBY.com.au. Retrieved on 29 August 2019.
  2. ^ Izaia Perese. Rugby League Project (17 May 1997). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  3. ^ "Izaia Perese Queensland Country Player Profile". Reds Rugby. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Izaia Perese itsrugby Player Statistics". itsrugby. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  5. ^ "Izaia Perese Reds Player Profile". Reds Rugby. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. ^ a b Queensland Reds convert Izaia Perese impresses at first Brisbane Broncos hitout. NRL (11 December 2018). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  7. ^ Category. The Courier Mail. Retrieved on 29 August 2019.
  8. ^ Lachlan Lanskey selected for Queensland after a stellar 2013 | Queensland Times. Qt.com.au (1 May 2013). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  9. ^ Ex-Red’s time arrives to launch NRL career The Australian (subscription required)
  10. ^ Rugby news. rugbynews.net.au
  11. ^ "Troubled Izaia Perese back in union after securing Top 14 deal". 29 May 2020.
  12. ^ Wallabies 2017 TRC Squad – Sanzar. Super.rugby. Retrieved on 29 August 2019.
  13. ^ NRL 2018: Wallabies rising star Izaia Perese leaves rugby union to join rugby league, Brisbane Broncos. Fox Sports (10 December 2018). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  14. ^ Perese pulls pin on Reds, set for NRL switch. RUGBY.com.au (10 December 2018). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  15. ^ "Troubled Izaia Perese back in union after securing Top 14 deal". 29 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Wallabies starlet Izaia Perese reveals why he re-signed with the Waratahs". 7 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Tigers confirm signing of Wallabies Centre Izaia Perese". Leicester Tigers (12 March 2024). Retrieved on 2024-03-21.
  18. ^ 2019 NRL rosters: Official squads updated for all teams. NRL (4 March 2019). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  19. ^ Big changes to XXXX Queensland Residents team. QRL (7 May 2019). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  20. ^ Brisbane Broncos will unleash former Queensland Reds star Izaia Perese off the bench. NRL (15 August 2019). Retrieved on 2019-08-29.
  21. ^ "Broncos stand down Perese after drug charges". www.nrl.com. 18 February 2020.