The rugby world has been paying tribute too Va’aiga Tuigamala after it was confirmed the powerhouse winger has passed away aged 52.
The dual-code Samoa international became a fan’s favourite on the terraces at the Falcons when he joined from Wigan in 1997.
Tuigamala had enjoyed five seasons with the Cherry and Whites, scoring 254 points in 102 appearances.
When rugby union became openly professional in 1995, Tuigamala was one of a number of former rugby union players who returned from rugby league. He played for London Wasps, winning the English Premiership, and later joined Newcastle Falcons in a world record £1m deal.
He scored a hat-trick on his third appearance for Newcastle against Moseley at Kingston Park and was an important part of the 1998 Championship-winning side, making 16 appearances that season. He then delayed an arm operation to put in a Man of the Match performance in the 2001 Cup Final.
Upon signing for the Falcons, teammate Doddie Weir called Tuigamala “simply the best rugby player in the world”
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The top 5 most expensive rugby transfers of all time
You can see the full list of the world’s most expensive rugby union transfer fees below.
5. Cameron Redpath (Bath RFC) – £150,000
The centre, who has been called up for the Six Nations by Scotland, was in his second year of a five-year contract at Sale Sharks but had struggled for game time in 2020. It was revealed that Bath have paid a six-figure transfer fee to release Redpath from his contract after unsuccessful negotiations with the player to keep him at the club.
