Uini Atonio is a professional rugby union footballer of Samoan heritage who was born in New Zealand and competes for France on the international stage. His go-to position is tighthead prop and he is a member of the French club La Rochelle. According to the BBC, he was the most dangerous forward at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Uini Atonio, whose first name is pronounced “Weeny,” was born to Samoan parents in the city of Timaru in New Zealand. He went to Wesley College in Auckland, New Zealand, where he was a member of the Wesley College 1st XV rugby team and received an invitation to join the Counties Manukau Rugby Academy. At the 2009 IRB Junior World Championship, which was held in Japan, he played for the Samoa Under 20s team. 2010 was the year that Atonio became a member of the Counties Manukau ITM Cup squad.

Patrice Collazo was the one who persuaded Atonio to sign with La Rochelle for the 2011–12 season of the Pro D2 competition. He became eligible to play for France in international competition after completing the necessary three years of residency in 2014, and he was selected for the 30-man France squad that competed in the November internationals that year. On November 8, 2014, he made his international debut for France in a victory over Fiji by a score of 40–15.