# Sam Kaleta
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{{Short description|Samoa & Japan international rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| birth_name = Samuel Puni Kaleta
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|3|9}}
| birth_place = [Auckland](/source/Auckland), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand)
| ru_currentposition =
| ru_currentteam =
| position = [Flanker](/source/Flanker_(rugby_union))
| amatyears1 = 1990
| amatteam1 = [Kia Toa RFC](/source/Kia_Toa_RFC)
| years1 = 1992–1994
| years2 = 1994–1997
| years3 = 1997–1999
| years4 = 19–2004
| clubs1 = [Ricoh](/source/Ricoh_Black_Rams)[[https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/2277/Thesis_fulltext.pdf;sequence=1 The influence of foreign players on the transformation of Japanese rugby]]
| clubs2 = [Ponsonby RFC](/source/Ponsonby_RFC)[{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/samoans-recover-momentum-to-stampede-oxford-1583185.html|title=Samoans recover momentum to stampede Oxford|date=22 November 1995|website=Independent.co.uk|access-date=26 December 2017}}]
| clubs3 = [Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars](/source/Mitsubishi_Sagamihara_DynaBoars)
| clubs4 = [Perthshire RFC](/source/Perthshire_RFC)
| apps1 =
| points1 =
| province1 = [Manawatu](/source/Manawatu_Rugby_Football_Union)
| provinceyears1 = 1990
| provinceapps1 = 8
| provincepoints1 = 4
| repyears1 = 1992–1993
| repyears2 = 1994–1997
| repteam1 = {{nrut|Japan}}
| repteam2 = {{nrut|Samoa}}
| repcaps1 = 4
| repcaps2 = 7
| reppoints1 = 0
| reppoints2 = 5
}}
'''Samuel Puni Kaleta''', known as '''Sam Kaleta''' (born 9 March 1966 in [Auckland](/source/Auckland)) is a former New-Zealand born Samoan rugby union player who played also for Japan. He played as a flanker.
==Career==
Kaleta graduated from [Lynfield College](/source/Lynfield_College) in Auckland.[{{cite Q|Q116775081|page=98}}] During his playing career, he played for the New Zealand clubs [Kia Toa RFC](/source/Kia_Toa_RFC) and [Ponsonby RFC](/source/Ponsonby_RFC),[{{Cite web|date=2011-10-22|title=Samoans recover momentum to stampede Oxford|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/samoans-recover-momentum-to-stampede-oxford-1583185.html|access-date=2021-04-29|website=The Independent|language=en}}][{{Cite web|title=Campbell Burnes: How the Hurricanes have found the magic loose forward formula|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/campbell-burnes-how-the-hurricanes-have-found-the-magic-loose-forward-formula/PPX2SDA7OPIO5FMWX3GMO4343A/|access-date=2021-04-29|website=[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald) |language=en-NZ}}] as well as for the Japanese clubs [Ricoh Black Rams](/source/Ricoh_Black_Rams)[{{Cite web|title=The influence of foreign players on the transformation of Japanese rugby|url=https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/2277/Thesis_fulltext.pdf}}] and [Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars](/source/Mitsubishi_Sagamihara_Dynaboars). In 1991 he played for the NZ Combined Services team of the [New Zealand Defence Force](/source/New_Zealand_Defence_Force) and [Police](/source/New_Zealand_Police) as lock. He finished his career in 2004 for [Perthshire RFC](/source/Perthshire_RFC).[{{Cite web|title=Today's club rugby action|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12413822.todays-club-rugby-action/|access-date=2021-04-29|website=HeraldScotland|language=en}}]
His first cap for [Japan](/source/Japan_national_rugby_union_team) was against [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong_national_rugby_union_team), in Seoul, on 26 September 1992, playing four matches. In 1994, Kaleta decided to play for [Samoa](/source/Samoa_national_rugby_union_team), his country of heritage; his first cap for the Manu Samoa was in the match against [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team), at Moamoa, on 4 June 1994. He also was part of the [1995 Rugby World Cup](/source/1995_Rugby_World_Cup) roster, although he did not play a match during the tournament. His last cap in his career was against [Fiji](/source/Fiji_national_rugby_union_team), in Apia, on 5 July 1997.
In 2006, Kaleta joined the staff of [Perthshire RFC](/source/Perthshire_RFC) and took responsibility for the club's academy.[{{Cite web|title=Rugby makes pitch for younger pupils|url=https://www.tes.com/news/rugby-makes-pitch-younger-pupils|access-date=2021-04-29|website=Tes|language=en}}] For some time he was the team's player-coach, even entering the field in 2008.[{{Cite web|last=Dailyrecord.co.uk|date=2008-03-08|title=Shire fight all the way to bitter end|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/shire-fight-way-bitter-end-2774128|access-date=2021-04-29|website=Daily Record|language=en}}]
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{ESPNscrum|11295}}
* [https://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/player/sam-p-kaleta Sam P. Kaleta at New Zealand Rugby History]
{{Samoa Squad 1995 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaleta, Sam}}
Category:1966 births
Category:Living people
Category:Rugby union players from Auckland
Category:Samoan rugby union players
Category:Samoan expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
Category:Samoan people of New Zealand descent
Category:Rugby union flankers
Category:Samoa international rugby union players
Category:Japan international rugby union players
Category:Ponsonby RFC players
Category:Black Rams Tokyo players
Category:Manawatu rugby union players
Category:People educated at Lynfield College
Category:New Zealand rugby union players
Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Japan
Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Scotland
Category:Samoan expatriate rugby union players in Japan
Category:Expatriate rugby union players in Scotland
Category:Perthshire RFC players
Category:1995 Rugby World Cup players
{{Samoa-rugbyunion-bio-stub}}
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sam Kaleta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Kaleta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Kaleta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.