Alamanda Motuga

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Alamanda Motuga

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Alamanda Lolo Motuga

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|09|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|111|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}

| school = Manurewa High School

| university =

| relatives =

| position = Flanker

| currentclub = Counties Manukau, Moana Pasifika

| years1 = 2020–

| clubs1 = Counties Manukau

| apps1 = 10

| points1 = 30

| years2 = 2022–

| clubs2 = Moana Pasifika

| apps2 = 17

| points2 = 15

| repyears1 = 2019–

| repteam1 = Samoa

| repcaps1 = 5

| reppoints1 = 10

| clubupdate = 28 August 2023

| repupdate = 28 August 2023

| ru_sevensnationalyears1 = 2016–

| ru_sevensnationalteam1 = Samoa

| ru_sevensnationalcomp1 = 37

| ru_sevensupdate = 28 August 2023

}}

Alamanda Lolo Motuga (born 11 September 1994) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Super Rugby club Moana Pasifika. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.{{cite web | url=https://www.ultimaterugby.com/alamanda-motuga | title=Alamanda Motuga | publisher=Ultimate Rugby | access-date=5 May 2021}}

Early life

Motuga was educated at Manurewa High School in Auckland, New Zealand.{{cite web |url=https://manurewa.ibcdn.nz/media/newsletter_-_august_2012_web.pdf |title=Manurewa High School Newsletter |publisher=Manurewa High School |page=3 |date=August 2012 |access-date=4 June 2022}} He began playing rugby for Manurewa in the Counties-Manukau Amateur Federation Championship.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/79319742/sport-manurewa-keep-hold-of-trophy |title=Sport: Manurewa keep hold of trophy |publisher=Stuff |date=27 April 2016 |access-date=4 June 2022}} He also played rugby sevens with the Auckland Marist team.{{cite web |url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/news/140300?lang=en |title=Pool C: New faces for Fiji and Samoa |publisher=HSBC World Sevens |date=26 February 2016 |access-date=4 June 2022}}

Club career

In 2020 he joined the {{Rut|Counties Manukau}} squad for the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.steelers.co.nz/steelers-heat/steelers/2019-pic-steelers-squad/|title=2020 Counties Manukau PIC Steelers|work=Counties Manukau Rugby|access-date=10 September 2020}} In November 2020 he represented Moana Pasifika in their inaugural match against the Māori All Blacks.{{Cite web|title=Moana Pasifika names side to face Māori All Blacks|url=https://www.allblacks.com/news/moana-pasifika-names-side-to-face-maori-all-blacks/|access-date=2020-12-03|website=allblacks.com|date=3 December 2020 |language=en-NZ}} In October 2021 he signed to Moana Pacifica for the 2022 season.{{cite web |url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/samoan-forward-pack-trio-sign-for-moana-pasifika/ |title=Samoan Forward Pack Trio Sign for Moana Pasifika |publisher=Samoa Global News |date=23 October 2021 |access-date=4 June 2022}}

International career

In February 2016 he was selected for the Samoa national rugby sevens team to play in the Las Vegas and Vancouver legs of the 2015–16 World Rugby Sevens Series. In May 2016 he was part of the Samoan team that won the 2016 Paris Sevens.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-sevens/2016/05/15/samoa-win-paris-sevens-after-stunning-comeback-against-fiji/ |title=Samoa win Paris Sevens after stunning comeback against Fiji |publisher=Telegraph |date=15 May 2016 |access-date=4 June 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/37241 |title=Au mo le Ta'ito'afitu i Pale na faalauiloa e le Palemia |publisher=Samoa Observer |date=8 May 2016 |language=sm |access-date=4 June 2022}} He went on to represent Samoa in 36 sevens competitions from 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/425494/sport-new-samoa-sevens-coach-takes-a-long-term-view|title=Sport: New Samoa Sevens coach takes a long-term view|work=RNZ |date=8 September 2020|access-date=5 May 2021}}

In July 2019 he was selected for the Samoa national rugby union team for the 2019 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup,{{cite web |url=http://www.americasrugbynews.com/2019/07/25/pnc-preview-samoa-vs-tonga/ |title=PNC Preview – Samoa vs Tonga |publisher=ARN |date=25 July 2019 |access-date=4 June 2022}} making his debut for the national side against Tonga. His performances for Samoa and Samoa Sevens earned him a call-up to the Samoa squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup as a replacement for Afa Amosa.{{cite news|url=https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/483117|title=Samoa draft replacement for injured back-row Amosa|work=Rugby World Cup|date=26 September 2019|access-date=5 May 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/50254 |title=Motuga gets the call, Manu coach says he deserves opportunity |publisher=Samoa Observer |author=Thomas Airey |date=26 September 2019 |access-date=4 June 2022}}

He competed for Samoa at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.{{Cite web |last=Chand |first=Shalveen |date=2024-07-09 |title=Manu Samoa's Olympic squad named |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/110041 |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Samoa Observer |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-10 |title=Coach Selects Strong 14-Man Squad for Paris Olympics |url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/strong-manu-samoa-ms7s-squad-for-olympics-announced/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Samoa Global News |language=en-US}}