Ole Avei

Ole Avei
Birth nameWayne Ole Avei
Date of birth (1983-06-13) 13 June 1983
Place of birthWellington, New Zealand
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight114 kg (17 st 13 lb; 251 lb)
SchoolThe Southport School
Notable relative(s)Digby Ioane (uncle)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2008-2010 Sunnybank ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2010−Nov 2017 Bordeaux-Bègles 171 (135)
Dec 2017-2019 Racing 92 29 (10)
2019-2023 Soyaux-Angouleme 17 (5)
Correct as of 12 August 2015
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007 East Coast Aces 3 (5)
2008-09 Waikato 14 (5)
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006-08 Reds 2 (0)
2009 Chiefs 0 (0)
Correct as of 13 July 2014
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2004 Australia U21
2011–2015 Samoa 34 (0)
Correct as of 3 October 2015

Ole Avei (born 13 June 1983 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a retired Samoan International Rugby Union player, who most recently played hooker with Soyaux-Angouleme in the French Pro D2.

Avei began his professional career in 2005 with the Queensland Reds, making his first Super 14 debut in 2006, against the Chiefs in Hamilton. He then went on to play for Waikato in the Air New Zealand Cup in 2008, and in 2010, he signed in France with the Union Bordeaux Bègles for 2 years, extending his contract for a rare 5-year deal over offers from several top clubs, including current champions Stade Toulousain (Toulouse).

Avei made his International debut for Samoa in the 2011 Pacific Nations Cup, in the match against Japan on 2 July 2011. He was then selected to represent Samoa in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and the 2015 Rugby World Cup.