# Rodney Iona

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rodney_Iona
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rodney_Iona.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Iona
> Source revision: 1312913207
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{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](/source/Melbourne), [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(state)), 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](/source/Fly-half_(rugby_union))
|    currentclub = [NOLA Gold](/source/New_Orleans_Gold)
|         years1 = 2014–2015
|         clubs1 = [Brumbies](/source/Brumbies)
|          apps1 = 3
|        points1 = 0
|         years2 = 2014–2015
|         clubs2 = [Canberra Vikings](/source/Canberra_Vikings)
|          apps2 = 15
|        points2 = 44
|         years3 = 
|         clubs3 = <!--- [Warringah](/source/Warringah_Rugby_Club) --->
|          apps3 = 
|        points3 = 
|         years4 = 2016–2017
|         clubs4 = [Béziers](/source/AS_B%C3%A9ziers_H%C3%A9rault)
|          apps4 = 22
|        points4 = 0
|         years5 = 2017
|         clubs5 = [Santboiana](/source/UE_Santboiana)
|          apps5 = 1
|        points5 = 0
|         years6 = 
|         clubs6 = <!--- [Western Force](/source/Western_Force) --->
|          apps6 = 
|        points6 = 
|         years7 = 
|         clubs7 = <!--- [Melbourne Rising](/source/Melbourne_Rising) --->
|          apps7 = 
|        points7 = 
|         years8 = 2019–2020
|         clubs8 = [Jersey Reds](/source/Jersey_Reds)
|          apps8 = 11
|        points8 = 10
|         years9 = 
|         clubs9 = <!--- [Gordon](/source/Gordon_RFC) --->
|          apps9 = 
|        points9 = 
|        years10 = 2022
|        clubs10 = [Brumbies](/source/Brumbies)
|         apps10 = 7
|       points10 = 0
|        years11 = 2023–2024
|        clubs11 = [NOLA Gold](/source/New_Orleans_Gold)
|         apps11 = 23
|       points11 = 128
|       years12 = 2025
|       clubs12 = [Seattle Seawolves](/source/Seattle_Seawolves)
|       apps12 = 0
|       points =
|      repyears1 = 2018–
|       repteam1 = [Samoa](/source/Samoa_national_rugby_union_team)
|       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](/source/rugby_union) who plays as a [fly-half](/source/Fly-half_(rugby_union)) for [Major League Rugby](/source/Major_League_Rugby) club [Seattle Seawolves](/source/Seattle_Seawolves) in [Major League Rugby](/source/Major_League_Rugby) (MLR). Born in Australia, he represents [Samoa](/source/Samoa_national_rugby_team) at international level after qualifying on [eligibility grounds](/source/International_rugby_union_eligibility_rules).<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](/source/Canberra) in an attempt to forge out a rugby career for himself.    In 2011 he linked up with the [Tuggeranong Vikings](/source/Tuggeranong_Vikings) who play in the [ACTRU Premier Division](/source/ACTRU_Premier_Division) while attending the {{Rut|Brumbies}} academy.   He represented the Brumbies at sevens and won the [World Club Sevens Championship](/source/2013_World_Club_7s) in 2013 and also played in the World Club 10s tournament in [Singapore](/source/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](/source/2014_Super_Rugby_season) saw Iona earn his first cap in a derby match against the {{Rut|Waratahs}} in [Sydney](/source/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](/source/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](/source/2014_National_Rugby_Championship) making 6 appearances.<ref name="Rodney Iona itsrugby Player Statistics"/>

Iona joined French [Rugby Pro D2](/source/Rugby_Pro_D2) side [AS Béziers Hérault](/source/AS_B%C3%A9ziers_H%C3%A9rault) 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](/source/2016%E2%80%9317_Rugby_Pro_D2_season), but suffered a serious neck injury after just four matches in [2017](/source/2017%E2%80%9318_Rugby_Pro_D2_season) that threatened his career. He was released by Béziers and joined Spanish [División de Honor de Rugby](/source/Divisi%C3%B3n_de_Honor_de_Rugby) side [UE Santboiana](/source/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](/source/2014_Super_Rugby_season) || {{Rut|Brumbies}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 62 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
| [2015](/source/2015_Super_Rugby_season) || {{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

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rodney Iona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Iona) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Iona?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.