Digby Ioane

Digby Ioane (born 14 July 1985) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer playing for the Panasonic Wild Knights in the Japanese Top League. He previously played for Stade Français, the Western Force, the Queensland Reds and the Crusaders. He also had played international representative test rugby for the Wallabies.

Digby Ioane
Birth nameDigby Anthony Natu Ioane
Date of birth (1985-07-14) 14 July 1985
Place of birthWellington, New Zealand
Height179 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Weight93 kg (14 st 9 lb)
SchoolGregory Terrace
St John's, Dandenong
Notable relative(s)Ole Avei (nephew), Monty Ioane (nephew)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre / Wing
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007
2013–2015
2015−2017
2017–2019
2020		 Melbourne
Stade Français
Honda Heat
Panasonic Wild Knights
Glendale Raptors		 8
25
31
8
0		 (5)
(25)
(20)
(25)
(0)
Correct as of 30 December 2020
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006–2007
2008–2013
2017		 Force
Reds
Crusaders		 20
66
3		 (20)
(90)
(5)
Correct as of 30 December 2020[2]
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007–2013
2005–2008
2005–2007
2004
2002–2003		 Australia
Australia A
Australia U21
Australia U19
Australian Schoolboys		 35
5
5		 (55)
(15)
(10)
Correct as of 30 December 2020

Family and early life

Ioane was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but moved to Melbourne with his family when he was 2 years old. His family are of Samoan heritage.[3] He was introduced to rugby league then rugby at an early age and represented Victoria in both junior Victorian Rugby Union and junior Victorian Rugby League before moving to Brisbane in 2002.[4][5]

He attended St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, and played for the 1st XV rugby team for two years. He played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2002 and 2003.[5]

Ioane joined the Queensland Reds academy in 2004. He was selected for both the Australian U19 and Australian U21 teams in 2004, and he made the Australian U21 team again in 2005.[6][7]

Rugby career

Despite not having played Super Rugby, Ioane was selected for the Wallabies squad to tour France and the United Kingdom under coach Eddie Jones at the end of 2005. He played for Australia 'A' in their win against the French Barbarians in Bordeaux on that tour.[5]

Force and Wallabies 2006–07

In 2006, Ioane joined the Western Force, along with Nathan Sharpe from the Reds, who was the Force's first big-name signing and inaugural captain.[5]

Ioane made his Super Rugby debut in the first game of the season for the Force against the Brumbies on 10 February 2006. He played 12 games in his first season and scored 2 tries,[8] but the Force finished in last place in their first year.

After the Super 14 season, Ioane was selected again for Australia 'A', and played in two matches against the visiting Fiji team.[9]

He was selected for a third year in the Australian U21 team, making it to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Championships in France. Ioane was nominated for the International Rugby Board's U21 International Player of the Year award in 2006.[5][10]

In 2007, the Western Force was bolstered with new signings, including Matt Giteau. Ioane suffered niggling injuries that limited his involvement to 8 games,[11] and he lost his place in the starting 15.[12] However, on 3 June 2007, he was selected to make his Test debut for Australia against Wales[12] at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. He made a try saving tackle and scored a try.[5] Ioane spent the latter part of the 2007 season playing for his previous hometown Melbourne Rebels in the Australian Rugby Championship. The Rebels were the surprise packet of the series and were only defeated in the final by the Central Coast Rays.[5]

Reds and Wallabies 2008–13
Ioane with the Wallabies in 2011.

Digby Ioane joined the Queensland Reds in 2008.[13] Unfortunately his season was disrupted by a broken hand and two periods of suspension for careless tackles, but his talent still earned him a place in the Wallaby squad and game time with Australia A in the IRB Pacific Nations Cup. He also won a spot on the end of season 2008 tour to the northern hemisphere.

In 2009, Ioane was switched to outside centre to cover an injury and proved a sensation, making the position his own until a shoulder reconstruction ended his season prematurely. Fought his way back to be selected for the Wallaby end of year tour and made his comeback in the Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks in Tokyo.

Ioane continued his good form for the Reds in 2010, playing on the wing and at outside centre. He scored an equal team-high five tries in twelve appearances for the Reds.

2011 was a standout season for Ioane. He featured in 15 Super Rugby games for the Reds and scored five tries, bringing his career Super Rugby tally to 100 points – and earning his selection in the Wallabies' 2011 Tri-Nations and World Cup squads.[8][14]

Ioane was suspended for 4 matches in 2012 while playing for the Reds, after making an illegal tackle on Sharks Flanker Marcell Coetzee.[15] As the international break approached, Brendan Moon acclaimed Ioane as having the potential to "become one of the greats of the international game".[16] Ioane played an integral role in Australia's 3-0 Test series win over Wales in June 2012, and scored the vital match-winning try against Argentina in The 2012 Rugby Championship.[8]

In 2013, Ioane added a further ten Super Rugby caps for the Reds.[11] He played in the first Test against the touring British and Irish Lions on 22 June 2013, which Australia lost 21-23, but sustained a labral tear injury to his right shoulder in the match and was ruled out of playing for the rest of the Test series.[17]

Ioane playing for Stade Français in 2014.

Stade Français 2013–15

Ioane moved to Europe at the end of 2013 on a two-season contract to play for Stade Français in the Top 14 French domestic competition.[18][19][20] He played his first match for the club on 29 December 2013, in a 19-12 win over USA Perpignan.[21]

Honda Heat 2015–2017

Moving to Japan, Ioane joined the Honda Heat for the 2015–16 Top League season.[22]

Crusaders 2017

In July 2016, Ioane signed a 2-year contract with the Crusaders Super Rugby team starting from 2017 through to 2018.

Ioane was named in the Crusaders' Squad for the Inaugural Brisbane Global Rugby Tens tournament. Playing for the New Zealand-franchise club in the pool-game clash; he scoring a try against his former team: the Reds, guiding the Crusaders to the grand final (which however, they lost to the Chiefs).

Ioane was a member of the Crusaders' successful Super Rugby campaign. Returning to Australia and making his Super Rugby debut for the Kiwi-club in Round 3 and playing against his good friend Quade Cooper and his former team: the Reds, Ioane producing an outstanding performance in the Crusaders' tight 22-20 win (with teammate Mitchell Hunt kicking a penalty goal in the 80th minute to win the game) at Suncorp Stadium. Two weeks later, he scored his first try for the Kiwi-club during the home-game 45-17 win over the Western Force at AMI Stadium. He returned to Australia again, this time in Sydney and featured in the 41-22 win over the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium.

With injuries hampering his time with the Kiwi-club during the 2017 Season and despite contracted for the 2018 Season; Ioane ended his stint with the Kiwi-franchise club, after opting to return to Japan to continue playing full-time rugby with the Panasonic Wild Knights for the 2017–18 Top League season.

Panasonic Wild Knights 2017–2018

Ioane (along with his former Wallabies teammate Berrick Barnes) was part of the Panasonic Wild Knights' squad for the 2018 Brisbane Global Rugby Tens tournament.

Personal life

Ioane comes from a family of Samoan descent and is a lifelong and very devout Roman Catholic. He has a multitude of tattoos the vast majority drawing inspiration either from his family or his faith.[23]

References
  1. "Digby Ioane". Official RWC 2011 Site. International Rugby Board. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  2. "Digby Ioane". its rugby. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  3. Smith, Wayne (31 May 2007). "Dad backs Ioane but don't bank on the Bledisloe". The Australian. Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  4. Payten, Iain (13 June 2012). "Digby Ioane's on a mission to impress friends and family in Test against Wales". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  5. "Biographies: Digby Ioane". Brave and Game. The online home of Terrace Rugby. Archived from the original on 21 September 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  6. "Australian Under 19 World Cup Squad Named". Australian Rugby Union. 15 March 2004. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  7. "Australian U21s selected for 2005 IRB World Championship". Australian Rugby Union. 23 May 2005. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  8. "Reds Profile". redsrugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
  9. "A side trounces Fiji". Australian Rugby Union. 22 July 2006. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  10. "Australian U21s selected for 2006 IRB World Championship". Australian Rugby Union. 22 May 2006. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  11. "Digby Ioane profile". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  12. Zavos, Spiro (1 June 2007). "Browning of the Wallabies". Roar. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  13. "Ioane to Join the Reds in 2008". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  14. "Wallabies profile". rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. "Reds lose Ioane for four games". smh.com.au. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  16. Greg Growden (30 May 2012). "Ioane gets tick from Moon as future great". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  17. "Wallaby pair ruled out of Test series". smh.com.au. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  18. "Digby Ioane s'engage avec Paris" (Press release) (in French). Stade Français. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  19. "Ioane signe au Stade Français". RMC Sport (in French). 1 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  20. ARU (3 May 2013). "Ioane to depart Australian shores at end of season" (Press release). Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  21. "Digby Ioane Top 14 Player Log". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
  22. "Bryce Hegarty and Digby Ioane to play in Japan". Rugby Week. 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  23. Roberts, Jack (23 November 2016). "Honda Heat and Wallabies winger, Digby Ioane: "He is always there, the man upstairs is always there!"". Cross the Line. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
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