Apollo Perelini
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| Full name | Afamasaga Apollo Perelini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 July 1969 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 16 st 10 lb (106 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Prop, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Apollo Perelini (born 16 July 1969) is a former dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and has coached in the 2000s and 2010s.
He played representative rugby union (RU) for New Zealand Under-21s, Samoa and World XV and at club level for Auckland, North Harbour and Sale Sharks, and representative rugby league (RL) for Western Samoa and at club level for St Helens, as a prop or second-row.
Playing career
Perelini played for St. Helens in the Championship and the Super League. He also played for Sale Sharks in the Zurich Championship and North Harbour in New Zealand. Perelini played both prop and second-row in league, and as a back row player in union.
In the 1991 Rugby Union World Cup he played as an open side flanker, in the Samoans' four games (against Scotland, Wales, Argentina and Australia). During the World Cup he gained the nickname of 'Terminator' for his fierce, hard-hitting tackling technique. In 1994 he received an approach from St. Helens to play rugby league in England. At first he rejected it, but finally agreed. In 1995 he played for rugby league for Samoa in the Rugby League World Cup, making him the first Samoan to play in World Cups in both codes.
Perelini played for St Helens at prop in the 1996 Challenge Cup Final, scoring a try in the last minutes and helping his team to a 40–32 victory over the Bradford Bulls.[2] At the end of Super League's first season, Perelini was named at prop in the 1996 Super League Dream Team.
Apollo Perelini played at prop in St. Helens' 16–25 defeat by Wigan in the 1995–96 Regal Trophy Final during the 1995–96 at Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield on Saturday 13 January 1996.[3]
Perelini played for St Helens at prop in their 1999 Super League Grand Final victory over Bradford Bulls, having won this they contested in the 2000 World Club Challenge against National Rugby League Premiers the Melbourne Storm, with Perelini playing from the interchange bench in the loss. He also played for St. Helens at prop in their 2000 Super League Grand Final victory over Wigan Warriors.
At the age of 33, after finishing his rugby league playing career, he returned to rugby union to play for the Sale Sharks.