Paulo Scanlan

{{Short description|Samoan footballer and rugby union player}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Paulo Scanlan | image = | caption = | fullname = Paulo Scanlan | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|8|9}} | birth_place = | height = 1.71 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = Vaipuna | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Samoa Football Academy | years1 = 2012–2016 | clubs1 = Vaipuna | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2016 | clubs2 = Kiwi FC | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2016– | clubs3 = Vaipuna | caps3 = | goals3 = | nationalyears1 = 2013 | nationalteam1 = Samoa U17 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 3 | nationalyears2 = 2016– | nationalteam2 = Samoa | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | club-update = 1 June 2016 | ntupdate = 10 June 2016 | module = {{Infobox rugby biography | embed = yes | position = | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = | years1 = | apps1 = | points1 = | repsevensyears1 = 2019–Present | repsevensteam1 = Samoa | repsevenscomp1 = }} }} '''Paulo Scanlan''' (also known as '''Paul Scanlan'''; born 9 August 1996) is a Samoan professional footballer and rugby union player who has played for the Samoa national football team and Samoa national rugby sevens team.

== Football career == Scanlan played football as a midfielder for Vaipuna in the Samoa National League. He made his debut for the national team at the 2016 OFC Nations Cup on May 29, 2016 in their 4–0 loss against Tahiti. In 2019 he played for Vailima Kiwi FC in the 2019 OFC Champions League.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/381338/sport-tupapa-in-control-at-ofc-qualifier |title=Sport: Tupapa in control at OFC Qualifier |publisher=RNZ |date=31 January 2019 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> In December 2019 he announced he was leaving football to pursue a career in rugby.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://oceaniafootballcenter.org/2019/12/02/paul-scanlan-leaving-football-to-pursue-a-career-in-rugby/ |title=Paul Scanlan: leaving football to pursue a career in rugby |publisher=Oceania Football Center |date=2 December 2019 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref>

== Rugby sevens career == In April 2019 he was selected for the Samoa national rugby sevens team to play in the Hong Kong sevens.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/386031/sport-one-new-cap-for-samoa-7s-in-hong-kong |title=Sport: One new cap for Samoa 7s in Hong Kong |publisher=RNZ |date=1 April 2019 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> He subsequently played in Dubai.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/404948/sport-samoa-fiji-men-make-winning-start-at-dubai-7s |title=Sport: Samoa, Fiji men make winning start at Dubai 7s |publisher=RNZ |date=6 December 2019 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref>

In June 2021 he was selected for the 2020 Men's Rugby Sevens Final Olympic Qualification Tournament.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/443984/samoa-7s-select-locals-for-olympic-qualifier |title=Samoa 7s select locals for Olympic qualifier |publisher=RNZ |date=3 June 2021 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref> In December 2021 he was part of the team for the World Sevens Series.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/458433/veterans-recalled-to-samoa-7s-team |title=Veterans recalled to Samoa 7s team |publisher=RNZ |date=22 December 2021 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref>

In July 2022 he was named to the team to represent Samoa at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.<ref name="osso">{{cite news |last1=Faasau |first1=Gutu |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/99064 |title=SASNOC announces Team Samoa for Commonwealth Games |work=Samoa Observer |date=13 July 2022 |access-date=13 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714102136/https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/99064 |archive-date=14 July 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/team-samoa-for-commonwealth-games-2022-in-birmingham-announced/ |title=Team Samoa for Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham Announced |work=Samoa Global News |date=13 July 2022 |access-date=13 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714102513/https://samoaglobalnews.com/team-samoa-for-commonwealth-games-2022-in-birmingham-announced/ |archive-date=14 July 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> He later competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanerivi |first=Sialai Sarafina |date=2022-09-07 |title=Manu Samoa 7's team named for R.W.C. this weekend |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/99697 |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Samoa Observer}}</ref>

Scanlan competed for Samoa at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Chand |first=Shalveen |date=2024-07-09 |title=Manu Samoa's Olympic squad named |url=https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/sport/110041 |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Samoa Observer |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-07-10 |title=Coach Selects Strong 14-Man Squad for Paris Olympics |url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/strong-manu-samoa-ms7s-squad-for-olympics-announced/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=Samoa Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{soccerway|paulo-scanlan/282545}} {{Samoa Sevens squad 2024 Summer Olympics}} {{Samoa squad 2016 OFC Nations Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scanlan, Paulo}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:Samoan men's footballers Category:21st-century Samoan sportsmen Category:Samoa men's international footballers Category:Samoa men's youth international footballers Category:Samoa international rugby sevens players Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Samoa Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Category:Vailima Kiwi FC players Category:2016 OFC Nations Cup players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Olympic rugby sevens players for Samoa Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2024 Summer Olympics