Born: May 4, 1979 - Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Test record: 14 Tests (1998-2000, 2004, 2006) - 14 tries (56 points)
Tours: 1998 tour of Britain, 1999 Tri Nations, 2000 World Cup, 2004 Tri Nations
A blockbusting wing weapon for Canberra Raiders and Bradford Bulls, Lesley Vainikolo's New Zealand Test tally amounted to a regrettably small 14 matches - but he nevertheless made a sizeable impact with 14 tries in the black-and-white jersey.
The De La Salle College product and Mangere East Hawks junior was a sprinting star at age-group level but slipped through the Warriors' net when the legendary Mal Meninga lured him to Canberra in 1998.
After scoring eight tries in 19 NRL rookie-season appearances in 1998, Vainikolo represented the Junior Kiwis and toured Britain with the senior Kiwis, though he did not appear in the Test series.
The 19-year-old scored a try on Kiwis debut in the gallant 1999 Anzac Test loss in Sydney and appeared in all three matches of an impressive post-season Tri Nations campaign, as well as scoring a try in a one-off Test against Tonga, his nation of birth.
Vainikolo played in the heavy 2000 Anzac Test loss and was one of the stars of the 2000 World Cup, scoring nine tries in just five matches - including a hat-trick against Wales, a double in the semi-final against England and New Zealand's first try in the loss to Australia in the final.
But injury wrecked his 2001 season and he left for Super League after scoring 35 tries in 69 games for the Raiders.
Vainikolo's six seasons with Bradford garnered 148 tries in just 152 games (his most prolific season saw him score 39 times in just 28 games in 2004), along with two Super League grand final wins and a Challenge Cup final triumph. He was named in the Super League Dream Team in 2003 and '04.
He appeared in only three Tests post-2000 but scored a try in each: the 2004 Anzac Test loss in Newcastle, a 2004 Tri Nations defeat to Australia in London and a loss to Great Britain in mid-2006 in a line-up made up predominantly of Super League-based players.
Vainikolo switched to rugby union in 2007 with Gloucester and played five Tests for England, eventually finishing his club career in France. He had earlier represented Tonga in Sevens Rugby at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.