Inga Tuigamala dead at 52.
https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/wi ... s-aged-52/
A great player in both codes even if he was a filthy pie eater.
Inga the Winger Gooooone
It's easy to forget just how off the rails Jason was till he found god.JM2K6 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:20 am Really sad. Turned Jason Robinson's life around, IIRC. Seemed like a good guy and that's far too young.
e: Oh, Robinson's quoted as such in the article, which I definitely should've read
That 1994 Wigan side must be one of the best sides of all time. Connolly, Robinson, Offiah, Botica, Shaun Edwards, Tuigamala, Farrell, Betts, and Scott Quinnell - just terrifying amounts of talent.
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Paddington Bear
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A good man. RIP.
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages, What feats he did that day
Crash669 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:26 amIt's easy to forget just how off the rails Jason was till he found god.JM2K6 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:20 am Really sad. Turned Jason Robinson's life around, IIRC. Seemed like a good guy and that's far too young.
e: Oh, Robinson's quoted as such in the article, which I definitely should've read
That 1994 Wigan side must be one of the best sides of all time. Connolly, Robinson, Offiah, Botica, Shaun Edwards, Tuigamala, Farrell, Betts, and Scott Quinnell - just terrifying amounts of talent.
Blimey, that's some line up.
Plus Henry Paul, with Sean Long and Kris Radlinksi breaking through as youngsters...Tichtheid wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:02 pmCrash669 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:26 amIt's easy to forget just how off the rails Jason was till he found god.JM2K6 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:20 am Really sad. Turned Jason Robinson's life around, IIRC. Seemed like a good guy and that's far too young.
e: Oh, Robinson's quoted as such in the article, which I definitely should've read
That 1994 Wigan side must be one of the best sides of all time. Connolly, Robinson, Offiah, Botica, Shaun Edwards, Tuigamala, Farrell, Betts, and Scott Quinnell - just terrifying amounts of talent.
Blimey, that's some line up.
Bill McLaren describes Ing
Lomu gets most of the praise for bringing rugby to the consciousness of non traditional audiences, but I think Inga did that to a quite large extent before him as well
All the money you made will never buy back your soul
Barbarians v NZ in Cardiff in 1993. I was there. He scored a damn good try in that game as well.Slick wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:05 pm
Bill McLaren describes Ing
Lomu gets most of the praise for bringing rugby to the consciousness of non traditional audiences, but I think Inga did that to a quite large extent before him as well
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Uncle fester
- Posts: 4919
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Very sad. Quite young.
He really was the forerunner for Lomu.
He really was the forerunner for Lomu.
My enduring memory of him is watching him play for Newcastle v Richmond in a Tetley Bitter Cup match in 1999.
Tackled the Richmond wing and obliterated him into touch. Probably the most ferocious tackle I have seen in the flesh. As an aside that backline was awesome - Gary Armstrong, Rob Andrew, Wilkinson & Inga.
RIP big guy.
Tackled the Richmond wing and obliterated him into touch. Probably the most ferocious tackle I have seen in the flesh. As an aside that backline was awesome - Gary Armstrong, Rob Andrew, Wilkinson & Inga.
RIP big guy.
An amazing team, probably the best English RL side ever.Crash669 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:26 amIt's easy to forget just how off the rails Jason was till he found god.JM2K6 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:20 am Really sad. Turned Jason Robinson's life around, IIRC. Seemed like a good guy and that's far too young.
e: Oh, Robinson's quoted as such in the article, which I definitely should've read
That 1994 Wigan side must be one of the best sides of all time. Connolly, Robinson, Offiah, Botica, Shaun Edwards, Tuigamala, Farrell, Betts, and Scott Quinnell - just terrifying amounts of talent.
But why did it have to be fucking Wigan?!sefton wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:10 pmAn amazing team, probably the best English RL side ever.Crash669 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:26 amIt's easy to forget just how off the rails Jason was till he found god.JM2K6 wrote: Thu Feb 24, 2022 11:20 am Really sad. Turned Jason Robinson's life around, IIRC. Seemed like a good guy and that's far too young.
e: Oh, Robinson's quoted as such in the article, which I definitely should've read
That 1994 Wigan side must be one of the best sides of all time. Connolly, Robinson, Offiah, Botica, Shaun Edwards, Tuigamala, Farrell, Betts, and Scott Quinnell - just terrifying amounts of talent.
Very sad news and so soon after his younger sister passed away too. He is one of the first ABs I really remember - especially the 1991 Bledisloe series where I remember him being a monster in a losing side.
He must have made some impression around Wigan. I remember spotting a life sized image of him on a supermarket wall there in the early 2000’s which must have been a good five years after he finished.
He must have made some impression around Wigan. I remember spotting a life sized image of him on a supermarket wall there in the early 2000’s which must have been a good five years after he finished.
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Thor Sedan
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Just read this as well.....what a terrible 24 hours for the rugby community.
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Torquemada 1420
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Memorably referred to by Eddy Butler as "a brown trouser job" in the preamble to RWC: he was discussing the difficulty in tackling the man.
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Torquemada 1420
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Jeez
Vidiri had renal disease and received a kidney transplant a few years ago. Tuigamala was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but had been working on his health. There are a few now very poignant comments below.
Tuigamala's cause of death has not yet been confirmed - he was about to launch a new video series in which he talks openly about his health struggles, including being diagnosed last year with type 2 diabetes.
"The reality was, I was facing an early graveyard," Tuigamala says in a preview video of the series, Project ODICE (obesity diabetes intervention champion evangelist). "And when I say early grave, my father died at the age of 48 from a stroke. He wasn't obese, but he had a stroke and died and left 15 children to my mum to look after.
"I suppose for me, I just don't want to be another statistic. Hence the reason ODICE was born. The reality is unfortunately I've been diagnosed with type two diabetes recently. I'm obese as you can see. High blood pressure, I had a stroke about nine years ago. I've really - in rugby terms - just dropped the ball."
The series shows him exercising, including running through a park. "I'm absolutely stuffed, but it's great to be alive."
Amazing to find out that Martin Johnson and Inga played in the same NZ u21s side in 1990.
Bit of digging and this was the side:
J A Goldsmith; J K R Timu, C R Innes, S D Fitzsimons, V L Tuigamala; S J Mannix, S T Forster; C W Dowd (rep G A Halford), M Sexton, D J Morgan (captain), B P Larsen, M O Johnson, D T Power, D T Manu, P M Fairweather (rep A Perelini)
Bit of digging and this was the side:
J A Goldsmith; J K R Timu, C R Innes, S D Fitzsimons, V L Tuigamala; S J Mannix, S T Forster; C W Dowd (rep G A Halford), M Sexton, D J Morgan (captain), B P Larsen, M O Johnson, D T Power, D T Manu, P M Fairweather (rep A Perelini)
Incidentally, is it too late for Va’aiga as a middle name?Crash669 wrote: Sat Feb 26, 2022 7:55 pm Amazing to find out that Martin Johnson and Inga played in the same NZ u21s side in 1990.
Bit of digging and this was the side:
J A Goldsmith; J K R Timu, C R Innes, S D Fitzsimons, V L Tuigamala; S J Mannix, S T Forster; C W Dowd (rep G A Halford), M Sexton, D J Morgan (captain), B P Larsen, M O Johnson, D T Power, D T Manu, P M Fairweather (rep A Perelini)
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Ghost-Of-Nepia
- Posts: 52
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Bloody handy side. Goldsmith had already toured Aussie with the All Blacks in 1988, and was a teen prodigy, but suffered a broken leg on that tour and was never quite the same. Timu, Innes and Tuigamala are well known. Mannix toured France with the ABs at the end of the year but never quite measured up at the top level, Forster hovered around the ABs for a few years. Dowd - yep (incidentally his replacement Halford runs the Shepherd Arms in Wellington & does a bit of coaching). Matt Sexton is well known up north and had a good career for Canterbury before heading to the NH. Morgan opted to head to France very early (pre-pro rugby). Laren was a mainstay in the ABs from 1992-95, not sure about D T Power, I assume D Manu is the Daniel Manu who ended up playing for Australia, and no idea about Fairweather (but Perelini went on to a great Samoa career).Crash669 wrote: Sat Feb 26, 2022 7:55 pm Amazing to find out that Martin Johnson and Inga played in the same NZ u21s side in 1990.
Bit of digging and this was the side:
J A Goldsmith; J K R Timu, C R Innes, S D Fitzsimons, V L Tuigamala; S J Mannix, S T Forster; C W Dowd (rep G A Halford), M Sexton, D J Morgan (captain), B P Larsen, M O Johnson, D T Power, D T Manu, P M Fairweather (rep A Perelini)
Thanks for that, other than the obvious ones those names didn't mean much to me so I was wondering what became of them.
Apparently Johnson lined up against some fella winning his first Australia cap call John Eales. Wonder what ever became of him.
Apparently Johnson lined up against some fella winning his first Australia cap call John Eales. Wonder what ever became of him.
Ah, I know you're more of a league guy but Eales was actually quite well known - famously he took the Reds to three Super Rugby semi-finals. Decent player, bit of a fan favourite in parts of Sydney I believe.Crash669 wrote: Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:18 am Thanks for that, other than the obvious ones those names didn't mean much to me so I was wondering what became of them.
Apparently Johnson lined up against some fella winning his first Australia cap call John Eales. Wonder what ever became of him.