Lewis Ponini
| Born | 7 December 1999 Rarotonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 130 kg (287 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Rangiora High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative | Ridge Ponini | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lewis Ponini (born 7 December 1999) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. He has also played for Canterbury in the Bunnings NPC. His preferred position is prop.[1]
Early career
Ponini attended Rangiora High School.[2] He moved to Australia in 2021, first representing Eastwood,[3] before transferring to Eastern Suburbs in 2023.[4]
Professional career
Ponini represented Canterbury in the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup having been called into the squad as an injury replacement.[5] He was initially called into the Waratahs B team as an injury replacement during the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific pre-season, and went on to become a regular in Waratahs Super Rugby team during the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, making his debut for the side in Round 8 as a replacement against the Crusaders, and going on to play a total of 7 matches for the NSW side.[6] Ponini was called into the Crusaders squad as injury cover ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.[7] He made his debut in Round 16 in 2025 against the Brumbies in Canberra. He became Crusader #300.[8] Ponini is currently contracted with Canterbury for the Bunnings NPC Competition, and was part of the winning squad for the 2025 season, following a season victory with the Crusaders in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific competition.
References
- ^ "Lewis Ponini". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "All Blacks loose forward consigned to bench duty for Canterbury return". Rugby Pass. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Shute Shield 2021: Doom and no gloom as Woods get ready for season kickoff". Rugby News. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Eastwood welcome back Waratahs stars in potential Finals preview". Rugby.com.au. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Young Canterbury team named to take on Manawatu". Canterbury Rugby. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Harrison kicks Waratahs to extra-time victory over Crusaders". Rugby.com.au. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Team Naming: Drummond Named for 150th Crusaders Appearance". crusaders.co.nz. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ "Match report: Final round heartstopper in Canberra against the Brumbies". crusaders.co.nz. 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
External links