Emosi Koloto
Personal information
Full nameEmosi Tangitangi-'ae'valu Koloto
Born (1965-01-23) 23 January 1965 (age 59)
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Playing information
Height184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight103 kg (16 st 3 lb)
Rugby league
PositionSecond-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1988–1995 Widnes 147 27 0 0 108
Wainuiomata Lions
Total 147 27 0 0 108
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1989–19?? Wellington
1991 New Zealand 5 0 0 0 0
Rugby union
PositionFlanker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1984–1986 Manawatu 31 96
1987–1989 Wellington 16 68
Total 47 0 0 0 164
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1986 Tonga 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [1] & Scrum.com

Emosi 'Moose' Koloto is a New Zealand former rugby league and rugby union footballer. He represented the New Zealand national rugby league team 5 times during 1991. Koloto played his rugby league as a second-row.

Early years

Koloto grew up in Manawatu and attended Palmerston North Boys' High School.

Rugby Union

Koloto was selected for the New Zealand national schoolboy rugby union team in 1983. He then representing Manawatu from 1984 to 1986. He played for New Zealand Universities in 1985 and then in 1996 he was selected to represent Tonga in rugby union.[2]

Koloto moved to Wellington for the 1987 season, scoring two tries on his debut.[3]

Rugby League

Koloto then switched codes to rugby league, signing with the Doug Laughton-coached Widnes. Laughton spotted Koloto when he played for Wellington against Wales in 1988.[4]

Emosi Koloto quickly became a ball playing and hard tackling second row forward in the greatest Widnes team. He won the League Championship with Widnes in his first season 1988-89. He also won two Premiership Trophy Finals in 1988-89 and 1989-90.

Emosi Koloto played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, in Widnes' 24–18 victory over Salford in the 1990 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1990–91 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 29 September 1990.

Emosi Koloto played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, (replaced by interchange/substitute Paul Hulme) in Widnes' 6–12 defeat by Wigan in the 1988–89 John Player Special Trophy Final during the 1988–89 season at Burnden Park, Bolton on Saturday 7 January 1989.[5]

In 1991 he made the New Zealand national rugby league team, playing in five tests including the three test series against Australia where he started in the second row in all three tests. He agreed to terms with Manly for 1991 but was drafted by North Sydney, and, like Terry Hill but in contrast to Ron Gibbs, his appeal was turned down on 26 April 1991 and Koloto refused to play in Sydney.[6]

Return to New Zealand

After returning to New Zealand Koloto has resided in Auckland. He coached the Papatoetoe Rugby club.[7]

He is now an accountant.[8]

His daughter Vika Koloto is a netballer who has played for the Northern Stars.[9]

His nephew Fred Koloto is an offensive tackle at San Jose State.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Emosi Tangitangiaevaluuili Koloto | New Zealand Rugby History".
  3. ^ Dane Coles profile Hurricanes.co.nz
  4. ^ Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8
  5. ^ "7th January 1989: Wigan 12 Widnes 6 (John Player Trophy Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  6. ^ Middleton, David; Rugby League 1991-92; p. 15 ISBN 978-0-949853-49-3
  7. ^ Koloto and Otai - legends from the 1980s Archived 14 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Varsity Rugby, 25 March 2007
  8. ^ Collins, Simon (10 February 2009). "Law centres face cutbacks as financial help dries up". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  9. ^ "Kiwi netball stars Ketz-ke fashion turn to support Tania Dalton Foundation". New Zealand Herald. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  10. ^ Fred Koloto Archived 2 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine San Jose State Football, Accessed 3 August 2009
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