Lima Sopoaga

Lima Sopoaga

Lima Sopoaga with the Highlanders in 2016
Full name	Lima Zachariah Sopoaga
Date of birth	(1991-02-03) 3 February 1991 (age 26)
Place of birth	Wellington, New Zealand
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	91 kg (14 st 5 lb; 201 lb)
School	Wellington College
Notable relative(s)	Tupou Sopoaga (Brother)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	First five-eighth
New Zealand No.	1145
Amateur clubs Years Club / team     2010- Old Boys University
Provincial/State sides Years Club / team Apps (points) 2010–13 2014− Wellington Southland 36 17 (359) (187) Correct as of 16 October 2016
Super Rugby Years Club / team Apps (points) 2011– Highlanders 68 (676) Correct as of 11 March 2017
National team(s) Years Club / team Apps (points) 2011 2015− New Zealand U20 New Zealand 4 6 (15) (22) Correct as of 12 November 2016

Lima Sopoaga (born 3 February 1991) is a professional rugby union player who represents the Southland Stags in the ITM Cup and the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.

His family comes from Samoa and the Cook Islands. Sopoaga is the oldest among six siblings. His younger brother, Tupou Sopoaga, currently plays for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. In his high school days, Sopoaga attended Wellington College and won four local championships with the 1st XV. He captained the side in 2009 and was selected for the NZ Secondary Schools team.

At the age of 19, Sopoaga played for Wellington in the 2010 ITM Cup, making his debut against Manawatu. His strong performances established himself as the squad's starting number 10. He finished the season with 88 points in 9 appearances to help Wellington to reach the final of the competition, where he scored 21 points despite losing to Canterbury.

In late May 2014, Sopoaga announced that he will be joining the Southland Stags for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The transfer from the Wellington Lions to the Stags keeps Sopoaga in Highlanders territory. Playing for Southland, Lima joins another current Highlander in Elliot Dixon.

Sopoaga, excited by the move as reported by Rugby Southland; “The opportunity came up and it is a good fit to stay in the Highlander franchise and represent the region in the Super 15 and ITM Cup. I’m really starting to feel at home in the south now and proud to be part of the region. The Stags boys in the Highlanders have nothing but good things to say about the Stags and the Southland province and I’m looking forward to getting to Southland and giving my all for my new team.”