Mike Palefau

Mike Palefau

Full name	Mike Palefau
Date of birth	September 10, 1981
Place of birth	Kahuku, Hawaii
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Center, Wing
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
2011 2012-	Utah Warriors Old Puget Sound Beach
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2006-2007 2007-2008	RC Narbonne Petrarca	0 9	(0) (5) 1t
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2005-2008	United States	11	(15) 3t
correct as of 16 February 2014.
Sevens national teams
Years	Club / team		Comps
2005-present	United States		22 (160) 32t
correct as of 16 February 2014.

Mike Palefau is an American rugby union player who plays center in 7s and wing in 15s.^[1] Palefau currently plays for Old Puget Sound Beach.

Youth

Palefau has been playing rugby since he was 18 years old. Palefau attended Southern Utah University and played rugby for the Collegiate All-American Team.^[2] Palefau excelled in other sports at Kahuku High School and at Southern Utah University, playing defensive back in football, and as a sprinter on the track team.^[3] Palefau finished second in the 2000 Hawaii High School Championships in the 100 meter and 4x100 meter sprints.^[4]

International career

Palefau plays for the US national 7s team and was the team's leading try scorer and points scorer for the 2011-12 IRB Sevens World Series. Palefau debuted for the national 7s team in 2005, playing in the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Since 2005, Palefau has been a steady scorer for the US, and ranks as one of the top active try-scorers for the US 7s team with over 20 tries on the IRB Sevens World Series.^[5]

Palefau was "discovered" in the summer of 2004 while playing with the Provo Steeler rugby team in a sevens competition in Park City, Utah, when US National team scouts noticed Palefau's athleticism and quickness.^[6][7] Palefau debuted for the Eagles 15s national team in 2005 against Canada. Since then, he has totaled 11 caps playing wing for the 15s national team.^[8]

Palefau took a break from international rugby between 2009–11, focusing on family life and on finishing his Master's degree at the Southern Utah University.^[9]

Club rugby

Palefau has played professional club rugby oversees with Narbonne in France (2006–07) and with Petrarca in Italy (2007–08),^[10] before returning to the US to finish his degree at Southern Utah University.^[11]

Palefau helped lead Las Vegas to a national D1 club championship in 2010.^[12] Palefau currently plays for OPSB club in the Rugby Super League (US).

See also

• United States national rugby sevens team

References

1. USA Rugby, Men's National Team, Player Profile, Mike Palefau
2. USA Rugby, Men's National Team, Player Profile, Mike Palefau, http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/natteams/mnt/15ProfileDetail.pl?playerId=319
3. RugbyRugby.com, Finding Mike Palefau, June 19, 2011, http://www.rugbyrugby.com/news/features/tom_billups/6987324/finding_mike_palefau
4. Boys State Finals Results, 2000, http://milhstrack.com/Track2000/B_result.htm
5. United States national rugby sevens team
6. The Salt Lake Tribune, Palefau looking to make a career playing rugby, June 15, 2006, http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3941767&itype=NGPSID&keyword=&qtype=
7. RugbyRugby.com, Finding Mike Palefau, June 19, 2011, http://www.rugbyrugby.com/news/features/tom_billups/6987324/finding_mike_palefau
8. USA Rugby, Men's National Team, Player Profile, Mike Palefau, http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/natteams/mnt/15ProfileDetail.pl?playerId=319
9. Universal Sports, The human highlight reel is back, May 14, 2011, http://www.universalsports.com/news-blogs/blogs/blog=thescrum/postid=533362.html
10. LinkedIn, Mike Palefau, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mike-palefau/1a/34b/56
11. SUU News, Rugby club growing on SUU campus, Sep. 28, 2008, http://www.suunews.com/news/2008/sep/28/rugby-club-growing-on-suu-campus/
12. Rugby Mag, Palefau Exudes Confidence, Dec. 7, 2011