Lesley Paea 'I'muli Vainikolo was born on 4 May 1979 and is a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer.
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26 Facts About Lesley Vainikolo
2.
Lesley Vainikolo began his career playing rugby league in Australia for the Canberra Raiders of the National Rugby League and later in England for the Bradford Bulls of Super League.
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3.
Lesley Vainikolo's team were short on numbers and my mate asked if I wanted to play.
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4.
Lesley Vainikolo represented Auckland in the 1997 Super League Challenge Cup.
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5.
Lesley Vainikolo had two big league heroes when he was younger – Allan Langer and Mal Meninga.
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6.
Lesley Vainikolo was selected for the New Zealand team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament.
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7.
Lesley Vainikolo played on the wing and scored a try in Bradford's victory.
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8.
Lesley Vainikolo played for Bradford Bulls on the wing in their 2002 Super League Grand Final loss against St Helens.
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9.
Lesley Vainikolo played for Bradford on the wing in their 2003 Super League Grand Final victory against the Wigan Warriors.
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10.
Lesley Vainikolo played for the Bradford Bulls on the wing and scored a try in their 2004 Super League Grand Final loss against the Leeds Rhinos.
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11.
However, Lesley Vainikolo declined the offer and decided to remain with the Bradford Bulls until the end of the 2009 Super League season.
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12.
Lesley Vainikolo played for the Bradford Bulls on the wing, scoring aa try in their 2005 Super League Grand Final victory against the Leeds Rhinos.
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13.
Hooker Terry Newton took the limelight with four tries but Lesley Vainikolo was allowed a parting shot when he was given the chance to convert a last minute try from regular goal-kicker Paul Deacon; the first shot of his career and his only two-point score for Bradford Bulls.
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14.
Lesley Vainikolo made his first international appearance for the New Zealand in 1998.
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15.
Lesley Vainikolo has scored fourteen tries in twelve appearances for his nation, including nine tries in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.
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16.
Lesley Vainikolo was ruled out of both the 2005 and 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations series through injury.
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17.
Lesley Vainikolo has had major surgery on his knees over recent years.
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18.
Lesley Vainikolo was the fourth Bradford Bulls Player to have joined rugby union in the last 6 years after Tevita Vaikona joined Saracens and Henry Paul and former teammate Karl Pryce who joined Gloucester Rugby.
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19.
Lesley Vainikolo scored five tries on his debut for Gloucester against Leeds Carnegie on 16 September 2007.
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20.
Lesley Vainikolo was selected for the Barbarians squad and played 2 matches, against a Belgium XV in Brussels, when he scored a try, and against Ireland at Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester.
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21.
Lesley Vainikolo applied for a British passport and was included in the English squad for the Six Nations Championships in 2008.
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24.
In 2009 Lesley Vainikolo was found not guilty after being accused of grievous bodily harm.
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25.
Spokesman for the Gloucester said Lesley Vainikolo had not been suspended and there was "no reason" for the star to miss the next match.
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26.
Lesley Vainikolo appeared before the Magistrates Court on 2 January 2009, where he was found not guilty.
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