{{Short description|Australia international rugby union player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Lukhan Salakaia-Loto | image = File:LUKHAN TUI.jpg | image_size = | caption = Salakaia-Loto with {{rut|Brisbane City}} in 2016 | birth_name = Lukhan Herman Lealaiauloto Tui | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|09|19|df=y}} | birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand | height = {{height|m=1.98}} <ref name= aru-stats/> | weight = {{convert|123|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} <ref name= aru-stats/> | school = John Edmondson High, NSW | university = | spouse = | children = | relatives = | ru_currentposition = Lock, Flanker, Number 8 | ru_currentteam = | ru_position = | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = | ru_currentclub = | years1 = 2015 | years2 = 2016–2022 | years3 = 2016–2022 | years4 = 2022–2023 | clubs1 = Randwick | clubs2 = Brothers Old Boys{{hsp}}<ref name = cm-8-3-2016/> | clubs3 = {{rut|Brisbane City}} | clubs4 = Northampton Saints | apps1 = 1 | apps2 = 1 | apps3 = 11 | apps4 = 24 | points1 = 0 | points2 = 0 | points3 = 12 | points4 = 10 | ru_clubupdate = 8 June 2023 | superyears1 = 2016–2022 | superyears2 = 2024 | superyears3 = 2025– | super1 = Queensland Reds | super2 = Melbourne Rebels | super3 = Queensland Reds | superapps1 = 69 | superapps2 = 8 | superpoints1 = 20 | superpoints2 = 0 | superapps3 = 7 | superpoints3 = 0 | super14update = 16 November 2024 | provinceyears1 = | province1 = | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | repyears1 = 2015–2016 | repyears2 = 2017– | repyears3 = 2023 | repteam1 = Australia U20 | repteam2 = Australia | repteam3 = Australia A | repcaps1 = 10 | repcaps2 = 42 | repcaps3 = 1 | reppoints1 = | reppoints2 = 10 | reppoints3 = 0 | repyears4 = 2025 | repteam4 = ANZAC XV | repcaps4 = 1 | reppoints4 = 0 | repyears5 = 2025 | repteam5 = First Nations & Pasifika XV | repcaps5 = 1 | reppoints5 = 0 | ru_ntupdate = 22 July 2025 }} '''Lukhan Salakaia-Loto''' (formerly '''Lukhan Tui''', born 19 September 1996), is an Australian rugby union player. He plays for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby, and his usual position is lock or pantser but he has also played in the backrow for the Australia national team particularly at blindside flanker.<ref name = cm-2016/>
==Family and early life== Lukhan Herman Lealaiauloto Tui was born to parents Herman Lealaiauloto [Ermehn] and Teresa Tuimaseve, his mother, at Otara, South Auckland in New Zealand before he moved with his mother to Sydney, Australia, at a young age.
He changed his name to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto later as an adult in 2018 following the death of the stepfather who had raised him,<ref name=rca-name-change-2018/> hyphenating Salakaia as the surname of his late stepfather, mother and siblings with Loto from part of his birth father's last name.<ref name=rca-name-change-2018/> Lukhan's Samoan bloodline comes from the villages of Lelepa in Savaii and Faleula in Upolu.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wasiliev |first1=Nick |title=Tupou, Beale headline First Nations & Pasifika XV team to take on Lions |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/tupou-beale-headline-first-nations-pasifika-xv-team-to-take-on-lions-2025720 |access-date=22 July 2025 |work=www.rugby.com.au |date=20 July 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
Lukhan attended John Edmondson High School in Liverpool, Australia.<ref name= qru-profile/> He initially played junior rugby league and was selected in age-group teams for Western Suburbs,<ref name = wt-2013/> and NSW Samoa.<ref name = nsw-samoa/>
==Rugby career== He joined the Randwick club in 2014 to play rugby union for their colts side.<ref name = randwick-2016/> In 2015, he played for Randwick's first grade Shute Shield team,<ref name = spa-2105/> and was named (as Lukhan Lealaiaulolo-Tui) for the Australia under-20 team{{hsp}}<ref name=espn-2015/> that played in the World Junior Championship in Italy.<ref name = bbc-2015/>
Later in 2015, he signed a three-year deal with the Queensland Reds.<ref name = rn-2016/> Tui made his Super Rugby debut for the Reds against the {{rut|Bulls}} in Pretoria on 16 April 2016.<ref name= qru-profile/>
He was selected in the {{Rut|Queensland Country}} squad for the National Rugby Championship in 2015,<ref name= qru-profile/> but did not play for that side due to injury. He made his NRC debut the following season for the {{rut|Brisbane City}} team.
In 2017, national coach Michael Cheika named Lukhan Tui on the bench for {{nrut|Australia}} in the match against {{nrut|South Africa}} at Bloemfontein,<ref name=smh-27-09-2017/> and he made his international debut on 30 September 2017,<ref name=hs-2017/> replacing Adam Coleman after the first hour in a 27-all tied test.<ref name=espn-rsa-aus-2017/>
On 1 March 2022, it was confirmed that Salakaia-Loto would move to England to join Northampton Saints in the Premiership Rugby ahead of the 2022-23 season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/news/lukhan-salakaia-loto-signs-for-northampton-saints|publisher=Northampton Saints |title=Lukhan Salakaia-Loto signs for Northampton Saints |date=1 March 2022|accessdate=9 December 2022}}</ref>
In January 2023, Salakaia-Loto was suspended for four weeks following his sending-off for dangerous play in a Champions Cup match against La Rochelle.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fraser Dingwall and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto: Northampton pair suspended for Champions Cup red cards |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/64399194 |access-date=25 January 2023 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 January 2023}}</ref>
After spending the 2024 season with Melbourne Rebels, he returned to the Reds for 2025.<ref>{{citation|title=Lukhan Salakaia-Loto Signs with the Queensland Reds |date=3 August 2024| url=https://reds.rugby/news/lukhan-salakaialoto-signs-with-the-queensland-reds-202482}}</ref> ==Super Rugby statistics==
{{updated|8 June 2023}}<ref name="Player Statistics">{{cite web | url=https://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/lukhan-salakaialotolealaiaulototui-34976.html | title=Player Statistics | work=its rugby | access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:70%;" |- ! Season !! Team !! Games !! Starts !! Sub !! Mins !! Tries !! Cons !! Pens !! Drops !! Points !! Yel !! Red |- | 2016 || {{Rut|Reds}} || 4 || 1 || 3 || 86 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | 2017 || {{Rut|Reds}} || 9 || 6 || 3 || 422 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | 2018 || {{Rut|Reds}} || 6 || 4 || 2 || 348 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 |- | 2019 || {{Rut|Reds}} || 15 || 14 || 1 || 1,028 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 |- | 2020 || {{Rut|Reds}} || 7 || 6 || 1 || 437 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 10 || 0 || 0 |- | 2020 AU || {{Rut|Reds}} || 10 || 10 || 0 || 725 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 0 |- | 2021 AU || {{Rut|Reds}} || 7 || 7 || 0 || 557 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 0 |- | 2021 TT || {{Rut|Reds}} || 5 || 4 || 1 || 349 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | 2022 || {{Rut|Reds}} || 6 || 4 || 2 || 281 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- !colspan="2"|Total || 69 || 56 || 13 || 4,233 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 20 || 2 || 0 |}
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=25em|refs=
<ref name= qru-profile>{{cite web |year= 2016 |title= Player Profiles: Lukhan Tui |website= Queensland Rugby |accessdate= 1 May 2016 |url= http://www.redsrugby.com.au/Reds/RedsSquad/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=417 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160501042438/http://www.redsrugby.com.au/Reds/RedsSquad/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=417 |archivedate= 1 May 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name= aru-stats>{{cite web |year= 2017 |title= Lukhan Tui |website= Australian Rugby |accessdate= 1 October 2017 |url= http://www.rugby.com.au/players/23334#The-Rugby-Championship |url-status= dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20171001011813/http://www.rugby.com.au/players/23334%23The-Rugby-Championship |archivedate= 1 October 2017 }}</ref>
<ref name=cm-2016>{{cite web |date=29 March 2016 |title=Queensland Reds prospect Lukhan Tui likened to Brad Thorn — by the great man himself |first=Sam |last=Phillips |work=The Courier Mail |accessdate=1 May 2016 |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/rugby/queensland-reds/queensland-reds-prospect-lukhan-tui-likened-to-brad-thorn--by-the-great-man-himself/news-story/f393fd31226770bc5179cacefa24fafe |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240527202019/https://www.webcitation.org/6hAfi2AyG?url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/rugby/queensland-reds/queensland-reds-prospect-lukhan-tui-likened-to-brad-thorn--by-the-great-man-himself/news-story/f393fd31226770bc5179cacefa24fafe%3Fnk=971fc0fcd9aff1ede121082111c15279-1462076278 |archivedate=27 May 2024 }}</ref>
<ref name=spa-2105>{{cite web |date=4 July 2015 |first=Paul |last=Seiser |title=Tui, Lukhan runs |website=SPA Images |accessdate=1 May 2016 |url=http://www.spaimages.com.au/media.details.php?mediaID=3099190 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508052318/http://www.spaimages.com.au/media.details.php?mediaID=3099190 |archivedate=8 May 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name=espn-2015>{{cite news |date=11 May 2015 |title=Australia name 28-man squad for U20 Championship |work=ESPN |url=http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_/id/15341541/australia-name-28-man-squad-u20-championship |accessdate=31 October 2018 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031044252/http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_/id/15341541/australia-name-28-man-squad-u20-championship |archivedate=31 October 2018 }}</ref>
<ref name=bbc-2015>{{cite web |date=20 June 2015 |title=2015 World U20 Championship: Wales U20 23-28 Australia U20 |work=British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=1 May 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/33201778 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816221222/http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/33201778 |archivedate=16 August 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name = cm-8-3-2016>{{cite web |date= 8 March 2016 |title= The Tight Five with Jim Tucker: Reds players must fire up, phony suspensions and the howler of the round |first= Jim |last= Tucker |work= The Courier Mail |accessdate= 1 May 2016 |url= http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/rugby/the-tight-five-with-jim-tucker-reds-players-must-fire-up-phony-suspensions-and-the-howler-of-the-round/news-story/a9bcc4ba6df434a5ea5fd9ddef9bd6ea }}</ref>
<ref name = wt-2013>{{cite web |date= 3 July 2013 |title= Wests beat Balmain 54-4 in U17s development match |website= Wests Tigers |accessdate= 1 May 2016 |url= http://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2013/07/03/wests-beat-balmain-54-4-in-u17s-development-match.html |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160501042610/http://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2013/07/03/wests-beat-balmain-54-4-in-u17s-development-match.html |archivedate= 1 May 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name = rn-2016>{{cite web |date= 2016 |first= Sam |last=Ryan |title= Intrust Shute Shield graduating class of 2015 |website= Rugby News |accessdate= 1 May 2016 |url= http://www.rugbynews.net.au/intrust-shute-shield-graduating-class-of-2015/ |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160501052205/http://www.rugbynews.net.au/intrust-shute-shield-graduating-class-of-2015/ |archivedate= 1 May 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name=randwick-2016>{{cite web |date=2 June 2015 |title=Randwick Colt Lukhan Tui chats |publisher=Randwick Rugby |accessdate=1 May 2016 |url=http://www.randwickrugby.com.au/news/news-2016/5117-randwick-colt-lukhan-tui-chats |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602055040/http://www.randwickrugby.com.au/news/news-2016/5117-randwick-colt-lukhan-tui-chats |archivedate=2 June 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name = nsw-samoa>{{cite web |date= 2 June 2015 |title= Photos |publisher= Rugby League Samoa NSW |accessdate= 1 May 2016 |url= https://web.facebook.com/RugbyLeagueSamoaNSW/photos/a.427649590660251.1073741828.426230750802135/849176578507548/?type=1&theater |url-status= live |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160501042919/https://www.facebook.com/RugbyLeagueSamoaNSW/photos/a.427649590660251.1073741828.426230750802135/849176578507548/ |archivedate= 1 May 2016 }}</ref>
<ref name=smh-27-09-2017>{{cite news |date=29 September 2017 |first=Tom |last=Decent |title=Michael Cheika happy exposing players as Lukhan Tui set to become 24th Wallabies debutant since World Cup |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/michael-cheika-happy-exposing-players-as-lukhan-tui-set-to-become-24th-wallabies-debutant-since-world-cup-20170929-gyr0ck.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20181031051110/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/michael-cheika-happy-exposing-players-as-lukhan-tui-set-to-become-24th-wallabies-debutant-since-world-cup-20170929-gyr0ck.html |archivedate=31 October 2018 }}</ref>
<ref name=hs-2017>{{cite news |date=1 October 2017 |title=Wallabies v Springboks: Who starred and who flopped for Australia |work=Herald Sun |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/wallabies-v-springboks-who-starred-and-who-flopped-for-australia/news-story/b6f40c28c5392d8e62322659473abed2 |accessdate=1 October 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20171001001949/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/wallabies-v-springboks-who-starred-and-who-flopped-for-australia/news-story/b6f40c28c5392d8e62322659473abed2 |archivedate=1 October 2017 }}</ref>
<ref name=espn-rsa-aus-2017>{{cite web |date=30 September 2017 |title=South Africa 27–27 Australia |website=ESPN |accessdate=1 October 2017 |url=http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/commentary?gameId=291166&league=244293 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20171001004629/http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/commentary?gameId=291166&league=244293 |archivedate=1 October 2017 }}</ref>
<ref name=rca-name-change-2018>{{cite web |date=31 October 2018 |title=Lukhan puts family first, changes last name |website=rugby.com.au |url=http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2018/10/31/lukhan-tui-changes-name-to-salakaia-loto |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031043213/http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2018/10/31/lukhan-tui-changes-name-to-salakaia-loto |archivedate=31 October 2018 }}</ref> }}
==External links== * [http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_34976.html Stats on itsrugby.co.uk]
{{Queensland Reds squad}} {{Australia Squad 2019 Rugby World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salakaia-Loto, Lukhan}} Category:1996 births Category:Australian rugby union players Category:Australian people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:Australian people of New Zealand descent Category:Australia international rugby union players Category:Queensland Reds players Category:Queensland Country (NRC team) players Category:Rugby union locks Category:Rugby union flankers Category:Rugby union number eights Category:Rugby union players from Sydney Category:Rugby union players from Auckland Category:Living people Category:Brisbane City (rugby union) players Category:Northampton Saints players Category:Australian expatriate rugby union players in England Category:Melbourne Rebels players Category:2019 Rugby World Cup players Category:Randwick DRUFC players Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen