Michael Alaalatoa

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Michael Alaalatoa

| image = Michael Alaalatoa 2014.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Alaalatoarepresenting NSW Country Eagles during the National Rugby Championship

| fullname = Michael Savea Alaalatoa

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|08|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

| height = {{convert|1.89|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|132|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}

| school = Newington College

| university =

| relatives = Vili Alaalatoa (father)
Allan Alaalatoa (brother)

| position = Prop

| currentclub = Leinster

| years1 = 2013

| clubs1 = Southern Districts

| apps1 = 15

| points1 = 0

| years2 = 2014–2015

| clubs2 = West Harbour

| apps2 = 38

| points2 = 15

| years3 = 2014–2015

| clubs3 = Waratahs

| apps3 = 1

| points3 = 0

| years4 = 2014

| clubs4 = NSW Country Eagles

| apps4 = 9

| points4 = 0

| years5 = 2015–2021

| clubs5 = Manawatu

| apps5 = 46

| points5 = 20

| years6 = 2016–2021

| clubs6 = Crusaders

| apps6 = 94

| points6 = 28

| years7 = 2021–2024

| clubs7 = Leinster

| apps7 = 72

| points7 = 30

| years8 = 2024–

| clubs8 = Clermont Auvergne

| apps8 = 11

| points8 = 0

| repyears1 = 2011

| repteam1 = Samoa U20

| repcaps1 = 4

| reppoints1 = 0

| repyears2 = 2019–

| repteam2 = Samoa

| repcaps2 = 15

| reppoints2 = 0

| clubupdate = 27 December 2023

| repupdate = 28 August 2023

| ru_sevensnationalyears1 =

| ru_sevensnationalteam1 =

| ru_sevensnationalcomp1 =

| ru_sevensupdate =

}}

Michael Savea Alaalatoa (born 28 August 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Leinster. Born in Australia, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.{{cite web | url=http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs/Team/SuperRugbySquad/PlayerDetail.aspx?pid=221 | title=Michael Alaalatoa Waratahs Player Profile | work=Waratahs Rugby | accessdate=14 July 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_23585.html | title=Michael Alaalatoa Player Statistics | work=itsrugby.co.uk | accessdate=14 July 2014}}

Early life

Born into a rugby household where father Vili was a member of the {{nrut|Samoa}} squad for the 1991 Rugby World Cup, Alaalatoa was quickly introduced into the sporting world and played rugby, volleyball and cricket in his childhood.

Club career

Rugby was where he excelled and he played three years in the Newington College First XV.[http://www.ncra.org.au/files/NEWINGTON%20COLLEGE%20RUGBY%20ASSOCIATION%20SILENT%20AUCTION.pptx Newington College Rugby Association] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518075408/http://www.ncra.org.au/files/NEWINGTON%20COLLEGE%20RUGBY%20ASSOCIATION%20SILENT%20AUCTION.pptx |date=18 May 2015 }} Retrieved 2 May 2015. He made his way through the ranks in the New South Wales Shute Shield, initially with Southern Districts and later West Harbour. Some impressive performances at that level saw him become a regular member of the Waratahs wider training squad in 2014.

An injury to regular front-rower Paddy Ryan saw Alaalatoa called up to the Waratahs first team for the final round of league matches in the 2014 Super Rugby season. He made his debut as a second-half replacement in the Waratahs 34–3 victory over the {{Rut|Reds}} in Brisbane.{{cite web | url=http://sarugby.net/matchbreakdown.aspx?id=114844&category=sarugby/superrugby&leagueid=1574&homeid=16254&awayid=16264&fullview=true | title=Reds vs Waratahs 12 July 2014 Match Breakdown | work=SA Rugby | accessdate=14 July 2014}}

Leading up to the 2015 ITM Cup Alaalatoa moved to New Zealand and signed to play for {{Rut|Manawatu}}{{cite web|title=Prop Alaalatoa gives up Waratahs contract to play for Turbos|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/70294369/Prop-Alaalatoa-gives-up-Waratahs-contract-to-play-for-Turbos}} where he had a solid season that earned him a 2016 super rugby contract with the {{Rut|Crusaders}}{{cite web|title=Crusaders nab giant Manawatu tighthead prop Michael Alaalatoa|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/73265499/crusaders-nab-giant-manawatu-tighthead-prop-michael-alaalatoa}}

It was announced on 12 April 2021 that Alaalatoa would be moving to Leinster to play Pro 14 and European Cup rugby starting in the 2021/22 season.{{cite web |title=Leinster sign Crusaders tighthead prop Michael Alaalatoa |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/leinster-sign-crusaders-tighthead-prop-michael-alaalatoa-1.4535346 |website=Irish Times |access-date=12 April 2021}}

International career

Alaalatoa was a member of the Samoa Under 20 side that competed in the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship.{{cite web | url=http://www.irb.com/jwrt/teams/team=3245/player=43176/ | title=Michael Alaalatoa IRB JWC Player Profile | work=IRB.com | accessdate=14 July 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715003750/http://www.irb.com/jwrt/teams/team=3245/player=43176/ | archive-date=15 July 2014 | url-status=dead }}

Alaalatoa was eligible to play international rugby for Samoa, Australia through birth and New Zealand through residency.

On 23 August 2019, he was named in Samoa's 34-man training squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup,{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Airey |title=Alalatoa headlines Manu Samoa pre-World Cup squad |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/47954 |work=Samoa Observer |date=23 August 2019 |accessdate=27 August 2019 }} before being named in the final 31 on 31 August.{{cite news |title=Two uncapped players in Samoa squad for Japan |url=https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/446870 |website=rugbyworldcup.com |publisher=Rugby World Cup |date=31 August 2019 |accessdate=1 September 2019 }}