Lazarus Vaalepu
{{Sources exist|date=May 2025}}
{{short description|Samoa international rugby league player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Lazarus Vaalepu
|fullname =
|image = Lazarus Vaalepu.jpg
|imagesize =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1999|03|19}}
|birth_place = Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
|height = {{convert|191|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|119|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position = {{rlp|PR}}
|club1 = Melbourne Storm
|year1start = 2024
|year1end = present
|appearances1 = 10
|tries1 = 1
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 4
|teamA = Samoa
|yearAstart = 2024
|yearAend =
|appearancesA = 1
|triesA = 0
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 0
|retired =
|source = [https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/lazarus-vaalepu/summary.html Rugby League Project]
|updated = 25 April 2025
}}
Lazarus Vaalepu (born 19 March 1999) is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a {{rlp|pr}} forward for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL.
Background
Born in Penrith, New South Wales, Vaalepu was raised in Canberra and is of Samoan descent. He played his junior rugby league for the Queanbeyan Kangaroos and attended Erindale College before being signed by the Canberra Raiders.{{Cite web|url=https://18thman.com/2017/07/07/2017-assrl-18-years-championship-guide/|title=2017 ASSRL 18 Years Championship guide|date=7 July 2017|website=18thman.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.erindalec.act.edu.au/our_college/outstanding_achievers/success_stories/-_2017|title=League Tag 9's|date=1 March 2017|website=Erindale College}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2017/05/08/u18s-schoolboys-squad/|title=U18's Schoolboys Squad|date=8 May 2017|website=Canberra Raiders}}
Playing career
=Early career=
In 2015, Vaalepu played for the Canberra Raiders in the Harold Matthews Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2014/10/09/2015-harold-matthews-squad/|title=2015 Harold Matthews Squad|date=9 October 2014|website=Canberra Raiders}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2015/02/12/junior-reps-season-preview/|title=Junior Reps Season Preview|date=12 February 2015|website=Canberra Raiders}} In 2016 and 2017, he played for the Raiders in the SG Ball Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2015/09/25/2016-sg-ball-squad/|title=2016 SG Ball Squad|date=25 September 2015|website=Canberra Raiders}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2016/09/30/harold-matthews-and-sg-ball-summer-training-squads-announced/|title=Harold Matthews and SG Ball Summer Training Squads Announced|date=30 September 2016|website=Canberra Raiders}}
In 2019, Vaalepu played 19 games for the Raiders' Jersey Flegg Cup side, coming off the bench in their Grand Final loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2019/09/24/jersey-flegg-team-list-raiders-v-rabbitohs/|title=Jersey Flegg Team List: Raiders v Rabbitohs|date=24 September 2024|website=Canberra Raiders}}
In 2020, he played for the Woden Valley Rams in the Canberra Rugby League before joining the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2020/09/15/blumers-lawyers-crrl-cup-round-8-wrap/|title=Blumers Lawyers CRRL Cup Round 8 Wrap|date=15 September 2020|website=Canberra Raiders}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wynnumseagulls.com.au/lazarus-vaalepu-joins-the-gulls-1/|title=Lazarus Vaalepu joins the Gulls|date=13 November 2020|website=Wynnum Manly Seagulls}}
In 2022, he joined the Sunshine Coast Falcons and underwent pre-season training with the Melbourne Storm later that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2023/08/31/forward-leader-why-lazarus-vaalepu-is-key-to-sunshine-coasts-premiership-push/|title=Forward leader: Why Vaalepu is key to Sunshine Coast's premiership push|date=31 August 2023|website=QRL|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903224752/https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2023/08/31/forward-leader-why-lazarus-vaalepu-is-key-to-sunshine-coasts-premiership-push/ |archive-date=3 September 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2022/11/17/tonumaipea-and-lewis-sign-on-for-train-and-trial/|title=Tonumaipea and Lewis sign on for train and trial|date=17 November 2022|website=Melbourne Storm}} In 2023, he signed with the Storm on a two-year contract.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrlnews.com/2023/03/09/melbourne-storm-retain-josh-king-and-add-lazarus-vaalepu-from-2024/|title=Storm retain King and add Lazarus Vaalepu from 2024|date=9 March 2023|website=NRL News}}
=2024=
In round 20 of the 2024 NRL season, Vaalepu made his NRL debut for Melbourne against the Sydney Roosters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2024/07/20/vaalepu-becomes-235/|title=Vaalepu becomes #235|date=20 July 2024|website=Melbourne Storm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722062642/https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2024/07/20/vaalepu-becomes-235/ |archive-date=22 July 2024}} On 1 October, he was named on the bench in the 2024 NRL Grand Final, replacing the suspended Nelson Asofa-Solomona.{{Cite web|url=https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/news/2024/10/01/team-announcement-grand-final/|title=Team Announcement: Grand Final|date=1 October 2024|website=Melbourne Storm}} In just his seventh NRL match, Vaalepu entered the field during the Grand Final to become the most inexperienced player to play in a Grand Final since 1994.{{cite web |last1=Lenehan |first1=Martin |title=Awesome Foursome: Panthers down Storm to claim place in history |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/10/06/four-of-the-best-panthers-down-storm-to-claim-special-place-in-history/ |website=NRL.com |access-date=11 October 2024 |date=6 October 2024}}
Following the Grand Final, Vaalepu was selected by Samoa as part of the Samoan tour of England.{{cite web |last1=St John |first1=Mark |title=Luai to captain Samoan squad with 11 debutants for England series after star trio ruled out |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2024-samoa-squad-announced-tests-vs-england-jarome-luai-captain-izack-tago-roger-tuivasasheck-lazarus-vaalepu/news-story/01fbf77d59f752c3ad785aac5eac5357 |website=foxsports.com.au |publisher=News Corporation Australia |access-date=11 October 2024 |date=10 October 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/melbourne-storm/lazarus-vaalepu/ Melbourne Storm profile]
{{Melbourne Storm squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaalepu, Lazarus}}
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Australian sportspeople of Samoan descent
Category:Melbourne Storm players
Category:Rugby league players from Penrith, New South Wales
Category:Samoa national rugby league team players
Category:Sunshine Coast Falcons players