Bundee Aki
Connacht's centre lives a few minutes from the Sportsground, in Oranmore, with his five children. Bundee Aki was born in the Auckland suburb of Ōtāhuhu on 7 April 1990, named Fua Leiofi and called Bundellu after the doctor who delivered him; an under-age coach shortened it. He came to Galway from the Chiefs in 2014 and has since played for Ireland and the Lions and taken Irish citizenship.
Checked against the source on 2026-09-19.
Stefano Delfrate, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Oranmore Castle on the 3D model; tap a pin for its page and directions.
From Manukau to Galway
Aki played for the Borneo Eagles in Sabah, then for Counties Manukau from 2011, nine games and three tries in his first season and eleven starts in 2012. The Chiefs signed him in September 2012 and he played thirteen games of the 2013 Super Rugby season, twelve as a starter, scoring five tries. Connacht signed him in April 2014, the second Chief in two years after Craig Clarke, and he was central to the Pro12 title of 2016.
Ireland and the Lions
Eligible for New Zealand and Samoa, he qualified for Ireland after three years' residency, was named in the squad on 26 October 2017 and played the full eighty minutes of his debut, a 38-3 win over South Africa at the Aviva on 11 November 2017. He was the only centre to play every game of the 2018 Six Nations; he has three championships, three Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams. Named for the 2021 Lions tour of South Africa on 6 May 2021, he made his test debut in the final test on 7 August, and toured Australia with the Lions in 2025. He was granted Irish citizenship on 16 September 2024 and keeps both. The model on this page pins Oranmore, and the Connacht Rugby guide the club.
Questions people ask
Where does Bundee Aki live?
When did Bundee Aki make his Ireland debut?
Is Bundee Aki an Irish citizen?
Written from Wikipedia, "Bundee Aki" (CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-09-19, and from the OpenStreetMap places on the model. Nothing has been added from memory; follow the source for its footnotes.