RUGBY: MANU SAMOA LEGEND PAPALI'ITELE PETER FATIALOFA INDUCTED INTO THE WORLD RUGBY HALL OF FAME

Video above - Interview with Papali'itele Pita "Fats" Fatialofa by Asia Women's Rugby on his team's performance and women's sevens in Samoa at the Asia Pacific Women's Sevens 2013

World Rugby announced that six legends of the game in Richie McCaw (New Zealand), Shiggy Konno (Japan), Os du Randt (South Africa), Peter Fatialofa (Samoa), Graham Henry (New Zealand) and Diego Ormaechea (Uruguay) would be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2019.

The World Rugby Hall of Fame presented by Tudor recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to the game of rugby throughout their careers, while also demonstrating rugby's character-building values of integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect.

The 2019 inductees were honoured at the World Rugby Awards in Tokyo on the 3rd November, the day following the Rugby World Cup 2019 final. The ceremony was held at The Prince Park Tower during a night dedicated to the game with important members of the rugby family.

Peter's wife Annie attended to accept the award on his behalf.

Peter Fatialofa (Samoa)
Born: 26 April, 1959 in Auckland, New Zealand | Died: 6 November, 2013
World Rugby Hall of Fame – Inductee No.146

A prouder individual never wore the Samoan jersey than the man affectionately known in rugby circles as “Fats”.

The all-action prop captained the Islanders when they achieved a breakthrough win against Wales on their Rugby World Cup debut in 1991, shocking their hosts and the rest of the world with a 16-13 victory in which he gave the final pass for Sila Vaifale’s match-winning try.

Under his inspirational leadership Western Samoa, as they were then known, went on to reach the quarter-finals and they did so again in South Africa four years later when he shared the captaincy with Pat Lam.

A fun-loving character who lived life to the full, Fatialofa was a hugely influential role model for Polynesian players throughout the Islands and in his birthplace of Auckland, New Zealand. He was a cornerstone of the Auckland pack that held the Ranfurly Shield from 1985-93 and a stalwart of the Ponsonby club.

After retiring with 34 caps to his name, the gentle giant worked as a director of his family-owned piano and furniture moving business, and was coaching the Samoan women's rugby team when he died of a heart attack, aged just 54, in November 2013.