Izaia Perese Explained

Izaia Perese
Birth Date:17 May 1997
Birth Place:Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height:1.80NaN0
Weight:950NaN0
First:RU
Year1start:2019
Year1end:20
Appearances1:2
Tries1:0
Goals1:0
Fieldgoals1:0
Points1:0
Yearastart:2019
Appearancesa:1
Triesa:0
Goalsa:0
Fieldgoalsa:0
Pointsa:0
Ru Position:Centre, Wing
Ru Currentclub:Leicester Tigers
Ru Year1start:2015
Ru Year1end:18
Ru Appearances1:12
Ru Tries1:9
Ru Goals1:0
Ru Fieldgoals1:0
Ru Points1:45
Ru Club2:Reds
Ru Year2start:2016
Ru Year2end:18
Ru Appearances2:17
Ru Tries2:4
Ru Goals2:0
Ru Fieldgoals2:0
Ru Points2:20
Ru Club3:Bayonne
Ru Year3start:2020
Ru Appearances3:5
Ru Tries3:0
Ru Goals3:0
Ru Fieldgoals3:0
Ru Points3:0
Ru Club4:NSW Waratahs
Ru Year4start:2021
Ru Year4end:2024
Ru Appearances4:46
Ru Tries4:8
Ru Goals4:0
Ru Fieldgoals4:0
Ru Points4:40
Ru Club5:Leicester Tigers
Ru Year5start:2024
Ru Teama:Australia U18
Ru Yearastart:2014
Ru Appearancesa:2
Ru Triesa:0
Ru Goalsa:0
Ru Fieldgoalsa:0
Ru Pointsa:0
Ru Teamb:Australia U20
Ru Yearbstart:2017
Ru Appearancesb:4
Ru Triesb:4
Ru Goalsb:0
Ru Fieldgoalsb:0
Ru Pointsb:20
Ru Teamc:Australia
Ru Yearcstart:2021
Ru Yearcend:present
Ru Appearancesc:3
Ru Triesc:0
Ru Goalsc:0
Ru Fieldgoalsc:0
Ru Pointsc:0
Updated:22 June 2024
Source:[1]

Izaia Perese (born 17 May 1997) is an Australian professional rugby player who plays centre and wing for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. He previously played for the Super Rugby club, Waratahs and the Australia national team.

He started his professional career in rugby union, playing as an outside back for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby and for in the National Rugby Championship.[2] [3] [4] He has also played for Bayonne in France's Top 14 and Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, the Australian rugby league competition.

Background

Perese was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

He played his junior rugby league for Brisbane Brothers in Stafford and attended Wavell State High School.[5] [6] In 2013, Perese played for the Norths Devils in the Cyril Connell Cup and represented the Queensland under-16 rugby league team, while holding a scholarship with the North Queensland Cowboys.[7] [8]

While attending Anglican Church Grammar School, he played alongside future NRL players Kalyn Ponga, Jaydn Su'A and Brodie Croft, as well as future professional Rugby Union players in Liam Wright, Angus Scott-Young, Mack Mason and Harley Fox in their 2014 title-winning first XV team. Later that year, he was selected for the Australian Schoolboys rugby union team.[9]

In March 2020 Perese pleaded guilty to supplying a dangerous drug in September 2019, but had a probation order for drug charges removed by a court to allow him to travel overseas.[10]

Rugby union career

In 2015, Perese began playing for Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship. In 2016, he joined the Queensland Reds senior squad, playing 17 games over three seasons.[11] In August 2017, he was named in the Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship but did not play a game.[12]

In December 2018, Perese was released from the last year of his contract with the Reds.[13] [14]

In May 2020 Izaia Perese announced his return to Rugby Union, playing for Bayonne in the French top 14.[15]

Perese signed on with the Waratahs until 2024[16] having previously been used as a Winger for the Reds, Perese made the switch to Centre while playing for the Waratahs.

In March 2024 it was announced that Perese will be joining the English Rugby club Leicester Tigers on a multi-year deal. [17]

Rugby league career

2019

Perese joined the Brisbane Broncos on a train-and-trial deal, later earning a full-time NRL contract with the club.[18] [5] He began the season playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup, representing the Queensland Residents side in their win over New South Wales.[19]

In round 22 of the 2019 NRL season, Perese made his NRL debut for Brisbane in their 24–12 win against the Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.[20]

2020

On 18 February, Perese was stood down indefinitely by the Brisbane club after being charged by police with drug-related offences. Perese was later granted bail and is due back in court on 9 March 2020. Brisbane CEO Paul White released a statement saying “Standing down Izaia is not a judgement of his guilt or innocence, but recognition that this is a serious matter, We have discussed our course of action and the reasoning behind it with Izaia, and he understands the action we have taken. We will review the matter as it moves through the legal process".[21]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/izaia-perese/summary.html Izaia Perese
  2. Web site: Izaia Perese Queensland Country Player Profile . Reds Rugby . 25 November 2015.
  3. Web site: Izaia Perese itsrugby Player Statistics . itsrugby . 25 November 2015.
  4. Web site: Izaia Perese Reds Player Profile . Reds Rugby . 25 November 2015.
  5. https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/12/11/queensland-reds-convert-izaia-perese-impresses-at-first-brisbane-broncos-hitout/ Queensland Reds convert Izaia Perese impresses at first Brisbane Broncos hitout
  6. https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/rugby/reds-rookie-izaia-pereses-move-to-the-broncos-means-wallabies-winger-naivalu-is-moving-north/news-story/f230484c5dba05f831636d74fa8cd6f7 Category
  7. https://www.qt.com.au/news/lachlan-lanskey-selected-queensland-after-stellar-/1850483/ Lachlan Lanskey selected for Queensland after a stellar 2013 | Queensland Times
  8. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/exred-izaia-perese-to-launch-his-nrl-career/news-story/a217ac88fbecdb28ea28454af7377c21 Ex-Red’s time arrives to launch NRL career
  9. https://rugbynews.net.au/australian-schoolboys-teams-2004-2014/ Rugby news
  10. Web site: Troubled Izaia Perese back in union after securing Top 14 deal. 29 May 2020.
  11. https://www.rugby.com.au/players/izaia%20perese#NRC Izaia Perese
  12. https://super.rugby/therugbychampionship/news/wallabies-2017-trc-squad/ Wallabies 2017 TRC Squad – Sanzar
  13. https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/super-rugby/teams/reds/rising-rugby-star-izaia-perese-has-reportedly-made-a-shock-code-switch-to-join-the-broncos/news-story/6e11a636aa20618af9d4ae2f80d2b7b9 NRL 2018: Wallabies rising star Izaia Perese leaves rugby union to join rugby league, Brisbane Broncos
  14. https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2018/12/09/perese-a-no-show-for-reds-2019 Perese pulls pin on Reds, set for NRL switch
  15. Web site: Troubled Izaia Perese back in union after securing Top 14 deal. 29 May 2020 .
  16. Web site: Wallabies starlet Izaia Perese reveals why he re-signed with the Waratahs . 7 March 2022 .
  17. Web site: Tigers confirm signing of Wallabies Centre Izaia Perese. Leicester Tigers (12 March 2024). Retrieved on 2024-03-21.
  18. https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/03/04/2019-nrl-rosters-official-squads-updated-for-all-teams/ 2019 NRL rosters: Official squads updated for all teams
  19. https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2019/05/07/big-changes-to-xxxx-queensland-residents-team/ Big changes to XXXX Queensland Residents team
  20. https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/15/broncos-will-unleash-former-reds-star-perese-off-the-bench/ Brisbane Broncos will unleash former Queensland Reds star Izaia Perese off the bench
  21. Web site: Broncos stand down Perese after drug charges. www.nrl.com. 18 February 2020.