Jone_Naikabula
Jone Naikabula
Rugby player
Jone Naikabula (born 12 April 1994) is a Fijian-born Japanese professional rugby union player.[1]
| Date of birth | (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Kelston Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Setsunan University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born and raised in Fiji, Naikabula comes from a small village in Nadroga, home to 200 people. He went to Auckland for the final few years of his schooling and attended Kelston Boys' High School, after which he took up a scholarship to Setsunan University in Osaka.[2] After graduating from university, Naikabula was signed by Toshiba Brave Lupus.[3]
Naikabula, a winger, made his rugby sevens debut for Japan in 2017 and represented his adopted country at the following year's Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco.[4] He broke into the Cherry Blossoms team in 2023 and was a member of the side at the Rugby World Cup in France, scoring tries against Chile and Argentina.[5]
- Cama, Akuila (8 January 2023). "Naikabula hat-trick in Japan, Fijians shine". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.
- "From Fiji To Kelston". Fiji Sun. 3 December 2013.
- Freeman, Rich (30 August 2023). "Rugby: Japan player profiles for RWC 2023". Kyodo News.
- Turaga, Semi (7 April 2017). "Another Fijian to make his debut for Japan in Hong Kong 7s". Fiji Village.
- McLaughlin, Luke (8 October 2023). "Argentina hold off Japan in thriller to secure quarter-final against Wales". The Guardian.