Samoa winger Alesana Tuilagi has started six of Tigers’ seven major finals in the last three seasons, missing out only on the Guinness Premiership win over London Irish in 2009 due to suspension.
He played in all five finals in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons, including the 2007 Guinness Premiership Final victory over Gloucester in which he was named Man of the Match.
An immense presence in the tradition of his rugby-playing brothers, Alesana has already reached the 150-point mark as a Tigers player, including the crucial opening try in the win over Gloucester at Kingsholm in the Guinness Premiership semi-final in May 2008.
After a tremendous second half of the 2006/07 season, Alesana began 2007/08 on World Cup duty alongside brothers Henry and Anitilea, and played in all four of Samoa’s games in France.
Alesana made his Tigers debut against Leeds Tykes in September 2004 and was voted Members’ Player of the year in 2006/07 after eight tries in eight league starts, including two in the Guinness Premiership Final.
He joined Tigers from Italian club rugby, where he helped Parma reach the semi-finals of both the Italian Super 10 Championship and the Parker Pen Shield. Early in his Leicester career, he set an A League record with five tries against Leeds in September 2004, while he also crossed four times for Samoa against Tonga in the summer of 2005.