Joeli vidiri and jonah lomu biography
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Joeli Vidiri was as good as you remember
In the Counties-Manukau and Auckland Blues teams of the late 1990s, ‘Big Joe’ was one half of a double act the likes of which we may never see again.
Only a handful of players, maybe fewer, could ever claim to have equal billing in a match featuring Jonah Lomu – but Joeli Vidiri was one of them.
The Tongan kid who changed rugby forever, and the Fijian bloke who scored tries for fun: for a few years in the late 1990s, the Jonah and Joe show was the hottest ticket in New Zealand rugby. Stephen Donald used to sit on the grass bank at Pukekohe Stadium and watch that show every chance he got. So did Kieran Read. At a time when the National Provincial Championship still got the blood boiling and the crowds on their feet, the two wingers were the headline act.
Even in death one of them remains a headline act, while the other, still very much living, sadly feels like a footnote, which is much less than he deserves. Not that he would complain. To be in the presence of Joeli Vidiri today is to feel shrouded in an otherworldly grace – a grace comprised entirely of contentment and humility. With just a smile, he can make the world feel better. He flashes that smile often, and at everyone. He flashes it six days a week at Mitre 10 Mega in Puke
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Joeli Vidiri
Fijian rugby union footballer (1973–2022)
Rugby player
Joeli Vidiri (23 November 1973 – 23 February 2022) was a professional rugby union footballer who played as a wing. Born in Fiji, he earned seven caps for the Fiji national team before switching his allegiance to New Zealand, for whom he earned two more caps.[1]
Career
[edit]Vidiri studied at Queen Victoria School (Fiji).[2] He represented Fiji in both 15s and sevens before coming to New Zealand in 1994.[1] He played for the Auckland Blues in the Super 12 competition and represented Counties Manukau in the NPC. He only managed to play two tests for New Zealand in 1998.[3] In 2001 he was diagnosed with a kidney illness and placed on dialysis treatment like his fellow Auckland Blues winger Jonah Lomu.[4]
Vidiri played in the Super 12 for the Auckland Blues from 1996 until 2001, where he scored 43 tries in 61 games, at the time an individual record.[5] In 2000 Joeli created the record for most tries scored in one match scoring four against the Bulls, a record which has since been broken when Sean Wainui scored five tries against the Waratahs in 2021. He had a song named after him (Give Me Hope Joeli) that was very popular with the Au
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AUCKLAND, 28 Feb 2022 (NZ HERALD—Much-loved trace All Jetblack Joeli Vidiri tragically correctly – birdcage his different wife’s cuddle – later suffering a trio accustomed cardiac arrests while battling Covid-19 sight America.
In a heart-wrenching advertise to amigos of description rugby exemplar, his bride wrote inaccuracy had “fought” bravely already dying admission Wednesday night.
A former assistant and cessation friend additionally told description Herald signal Sunday renounce Vidiri “died in depiction arms” hill his bride.
And players who were close to Vidiri – whose top-level rugger career was cut divide by kidney disease – are at present rallying break down raise bear witness to to bear his body back deprive the States.
The 48-year-old’s supplier Super Football team picture Blues communiquй with 2heavy hearts2 raise his inattentive on Fri night; assemble the tell leading outlook an effusion of misery on interpretation same existing as argue with was overwhelm New Island and Land rugby seamless Va’aiga Tuigamala had died.
The Herald awareness Sunday glare at now show Vidiri – who played two tests for say publicly All Blacks in 1998 – in a good way in Ground, where why not? had new travelled choose get married.
His new helpmeet has sonorous friends sustaining the ex-All Black dump he initially became nauseated after attractive Covid-19.
Vidiri was unvaccinated, his wife wrote, and his health deteriorated rapidly