ANTHONY PERENISE

D.O.B: 18/10/1982

Position: Prop

Provincial debut: 2006 (v Tasman)

Physical: 182 cm, 118 kg

Highlights:

A strong scrummager and a damaging runner, Anthony Perenise has played Super 14 rugby for the Hurricanes (2007, 2008 2010) and Highlanders (2009) and NPC rugby for the Vodafone Wellington Lions and Hawke’s Bay.

Captain of the champions Northern United club team, Perenise earned three Wellington Lions caps off the bench in his first year in 2006. He then got his big Super 14 break in 2007 as an injury replacement in the Hurricanes and ran with it, making eight appearances and slotting in soundly to the front row.

The specialist tighthead joined the Hurricanes team from the Wider Training Group in round three, replacing Tim Fairbrother who was cruelly ruled out for the season after aggravating a previous shoulder injury after previously making the Lions the year before after starting the season for Wellington B.

Seven of his 2007 Hurricanes appearances were off the bench, but he was rewarded with selection in the starting side for one match against the Sharks in Durban, scoring his maiden first class try in the same game.

He then went on to earn 11 caps for the Lions in the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup in the absence of Neemia Tialata away on All Blacks duty.

Born in Nelson but schooled at Bishop Viard College in Porirua Perenise was a major part of his club side Norths’ recent success in Wellington grassroots rugby, leading the way in three straight Jubilee Cup finals between 2004-2006 and winning two of them.

Perenise headed to France in 2011.