PLAYER PROFILE
Liana Mikaele-Tu'u
Loose Forward
KEY STATS
BIOGRAPHY
Black Fern #227
Liana Mikaele-Tu’u made her debut in the Farah Palmer Cup for Hawke’s Bay while still at Hastings Girls’ High School in 2019. The teenager moved to Auckland for university and continued to rise in the ranks. After just nine games for the Auckland Storm she was selected by the Black Ferns for the 2021 Northern Tour.
She came off the bench in the Black Ferns 100th test against England and went on to start the remaining three tests on tour earning praise for her grit, athleticism and being nominated for Black Ferns Player of the Year.
Mikaele-Tu’u first played rugby when she was in Year 11. It was the year her high school, Hastings Girls’, finally formed a First XV and was coached by legendary Black Ferns halfback Emma Jensen.
Mikaele-Tu’u was part of the victorious Black Ferns Rugby World Cup squad, where she was a constant feature in the starting line-up, producing some dominant performances.
Player Stats
Province:
Auckland
Test Debut:
v England, 2021
Super Club:
Blues
Village:
Lefagaoalii, Sinamoga