{{short description|Samoa international rugby union player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}} {{expand French|topic=bio|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Rodney Iona | image = Rodney Iona 2022.jpg | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Rodney Esekia Iona | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|08|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | height = {{convert|1.77|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|89|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}} | school = | university = | relatives = | position = Fly-half | currentclub = NOLA Gold | years1 = 2014–2015 | clubs1 = Brumbies | apps1 = 3 | points1 = 0 | years2 = 2014–2015 | clubs2 = Canberra Vikings | apps2 = 15 | points2 = 44 | years3 = | clubs3 = <!--- Warringah ---> | apps3 = | points3 = | years4 = 2016–2017 | clubs4 = Béziers | apps4 = 22 | points4 = 0 | years5 = 2017 | clubs5 = Santboiana | apps5 = 1 | points5 = 0 | years6 = | clubs6 = <!--- Western Force ---> | apps6 = | points6 = | years7 = | clubs7 = <!--- Melbourne Rising ---> | apps7 = | points7 = | years8 = 2019–2020 | clubs8 = Jersey Reds | apps8 = 11 | points8 = 10 | years9 = | clubs9 = <!--- Gordon ---> | apps9 = | points9 = | years10 = 2022 | clubs10 = Brumbies | apps10 = 7 | points10 = 0 | years11 = 2023–2024 | clubs11 = NOLA Gold | apps11 = 23 | points11 = 128 | years12 = 2025 | clubs12 = Seattle Seawolves | apps12 = 0 | points = | repyears1 = 2018– | repteam1 = Samoa | repcaps1 = 8 | reppoints1 = 21 | clubupdate = 20 December 2024 | repupdate = 14 May 2023 | ru_sevensnationalyears1 = | ru_sevensnationalteam1 = | ru_sevensnationalcomp1 = | ru_sevensupdate = }}
'''Rodney Esekia Iona''' (born 17 August 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Major League Rugby club Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR). Born in Australia, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on eligibility grounds.<ref name="Rodney Iona: Jersey Reds sign versatile Samoa international">{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50571954 | title=Rodney Iona: Jersey Reds sign versatile Samoa international | work=BBC Sport | date = 27 November 2019 | accessdate=12 December 2019}}</ref><ref name="Rodney Iona Canberra Vikings Player Profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.brumbies.com.au/ucvikings/team/vikingsprofile.aspx?pid=913 | title=Rondey Iona Canberra Vikings Player Profile | work=Brumbies Rugby | accessdate=10 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403010948/http://www.brumbies.com.au/ucvikings/team/vikingsprofile.aspx?pid=913 | archivedate=3 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="Rodney Iona itsrugby Player Statistics">{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_32557.html | title=Rodney Iona itsrugby Player Statistics | work=itsrugby | accessdate=10 December 2014}}</ref>
== Professional career == Originally from Melbourne, Iona made his way north to Australia's capital Canberra in an attempt to forge out a rugby career for himself. In 2011 he linked up with the Tuggeranong Vikings who play in the ACTRU Premier Division while attending the {{Rut|Brumbies}} academy. He represented the Brumbies at sevens and won the World Club Sevens Championship in 2013 and also played in the World Club 10s tournament in Singapore.<ref name="ACT Brumbies sign Canberra Vikings centre Rodney Iona">{{cite web | url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/act-brumbies-sign-canberra-vikings-centre-rodney-iona-20140917-10hzfr.html | title=ACT Brumbies sign Canberra Vikings centre Rodney Iona | work=Sydney Morning Herald | date = 17 September 2014 | accessdate=10 December 2014}}</ref>
A spate of injuries for the Brumbies in the middle of the 2014 Super Rugby season saw Iona earn his first cap in a derby match against the {{Rut|Waratahs}} in Sydney. His debut didn't go quite as well as he'd have liked with his first pass being intercepted which resulted in a Waratahs try.<ref name="ACT Brumbies sign Canberra Vikings centre Rodney Iona"/> Despite this Iona was offered a full-time one-year contract with the Brumbies ahead of the 2015 Super Rugby season.<ref name="Iona upgrades to UC Brumbies in 2015">{{cite web | url=http://www.brumbies.com.au/News/Article/tabid/1213/ArticleID/12394/Iona-upgrades-to-UC-Brumbies-in-2015.aspx | title=Iona upgrades to UC Brumbies in 2015 | work=Brumbies Rugby | date=17 September 2014 | accessdate=10 December 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140917070348/http://www.brumbies.com.au/News/Article/tabid/1213/ArticleID/12394/Iona-upgrades-to-UC-Brumbies-in-2015.aspx | archivedate=17 September 2014}}</ref>
Iona also played for the Canberra Vikings in the first ever National Rugby Championship in 2014 making 6 appearances.<ref name="Rodney Iona itsrugby Player Statistics"/>
Iona joined French Rugby Pro D2 side AS Béziers Hérault in July 2016.<ref name="Recrutement de Rodney Iona">{{cite press release | url=http://www.asbh.net/actualite/recrutement-de-rodney-iona | title=Recrutement de Rodney Iona | publisher=ASBH | date=6 July 2016 | accessdate=6 December 2017 | language=French}}</ref> He made 18 appearances in his first season, but suffered a serious neck injury after just four matches in 2017 that threatened his career. He was released by Béziers and joined Spanish División de Honor de Rugby side UE Santboiana.<ref name="La Santboiana fitxa el tres quarts australià Rodney Iona">{{cite press release | url=http://www.rugbycat.cat/la-santboiana-fitxa-el-tres-quarts-australia-rodney-iona/ | title=La Santboiana fitxa el tres quarts australià Rodney Iona | publisher=RugbyCat | date=4 December 2017 | accessdate=6 December 2017 | language=Catalan}}</ref>
== Statistics == {{updated|28 June 2015}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height:90%; font-size:95%; width:60%;" |- ! Season !! Team !! Games !! Starts !! Sub !! Mins !! Tries !! Cons !! Pens !! Drops !! Points !! Yel !! Red |- | 2014 || {{Rut|Brumbies}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 62 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | 2015 || {{Rut|Brumbies}} || 2 || 0 || 2 || 51 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- !colspan="2"|Total || 3 || 0 || 3 || 113 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *{{sport links}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iona, Rodney}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:AS Béziers Hérault players Category:Australian people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:Australian rugby union players Category:ACT Brumbies players Category:Canberra Vikings players Category:Jersey Reds players Category:Melbourne Rising players Category:Rugby union centres Category:Rugby union fly-halves Category:Rugby union players from Melbourne Category:Samoa international rugby union players Category:Samoan rugby union players Category:New Orleans Gold players Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in Jersey Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Samoan expatriate sportspeople in Jersey Category:Samoan expatriate rugby union players in France Category:Samoan expatriate rugby union players in England Category:Australian expatriate rugby union players Category:Samoan expatriate rugby union players in the United States Category:Samoan expatriate rugby union players in Spain Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen Category:Seattle Seawolves players