Sosene Anesi

Sosene Raymond Anesi is a former rugby union footballer who played as a fullback and wing and currently the head coach of Romania's current champions CS Dinamo București.

Career

Anesi came from Samoa to New Zealand in 2000 on a rugby scholarship arranged between St Joseph's College in Apia and St John's College in Hamilton. He made his National Provincial Championship debut for Waikato in 2003. He played for the Chiefs in the Super 14 up until 2007. He made his All Blacks debut from the bench in 2005 against Fiji at Albany, but did not play any further tests. In 2010 and 2011, he played for the Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition, in 2012 played for NTT Communications Shining Arcs Japan's Top League and the NSW Shute Shield competition for the Parramatta Two Blues Rugby club. He now plays for RCM MVT Timișoara, 2012 and 2013 SuperLiga Champion from Romania.
In November 2007 Anesi was charged with assault. He was given diversion.

Sevens

He was a member of the New Zealand sevens team in 2004 and again in the team that won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

2007 neck injury

Anesi fractured his neck in the second round Super 14 match against the Wellington Hurricanes at Waikato Stadium on 9 February 2007. A strong tackle from Hurricanes winger Ma'a Nonu resulted in the injury which rules Anesi out for season 2007. Immediate surgery was not required, but he needed to go through a rehabilitation period. Anesi returned in the second season of the Air New Zealand Cup.

2013 Superliga Champions

Anesi now plays for RCM MVT Timișoara and was a member of the premiership winning team of 2013. Anesi is the first ever All Black and one of the first ever Super Rugby players to play in the SuperLiga. His debut in the Superliga against Farul Constanţa was on 13 July 2013 in Stadionul de Rugby Mihai Naca|Constanța. He was not the only Super Rugby player to debut, with Nathan Eyres-Brown the former Queensland Reds player debuting for Farul Constanţa.