Education
He finished the season with 88 points in 9 appearances to help Wellington to reach the semi-finals of the competition, where he scored 21 points.
He finished the season with 88 points in 9 appearances to help Wellington to reach the semi-finals of the competition, where he scored 21 points.
His family comes from Samoa and the Cook Islands. Sopoaga is the oldest among six siblings. He captained the side in 2009 and was selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team
Provincial Rugby
= Wellington Lions His strong performances established himself as the squad"s starting number 10.
= Southland Stags In late May 2014, Sopoaga announced that he will be joining the Southland Stags for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The transfer from the Wellington Lions to the Stags keeps Sopoaga in Highlanders territory.
He will take the five-eighth starting position from Scott Eade with Eade moving to the half back position. Playing for Southland, Lima joins other current Highlanders such as John Hardie and Elliot Dixon.
He will play in integral role in a new and improved Stags back-line that boasts the talents of Willis Halaholo and Hurricanes player Cardiff Vaega in the mid-field, Scott Eade and Tayler Adams at halfback, and new 2014 prospects Jamie Verran and the Lolohea Loco in the outside backs.
A traditional forwards focused Stags game-plan may be altered to incorporate the exciting potential of the young back-line grouping. I’m really starting to feel at home in the south now and proud to be part of the region. The Stags boys in the Highlanders have nothing but good things to say about the Stags and the Southland province and I’m looking forward to getting to Southland and giving my all for my new team”
Super Rugby
Sopoaga followed his former Wellington coach Jamie Joseph south, signing on with the Highlanders for the 2011 Super Rugby season.
Expected to back up Colin Slade, he ended up starting the opening game of the season against the Hurricanes due to Slade being injured.
He responded in fine fashion by scoring a try and kicking two penalties in a 14-9 victory. However, in his second start of the season he suffered a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the team until the late stages of the season.
In 2015 he helped guide the Highlanders to their first super rugby title by defeating the 1st place Hurricanes 21-14.