| Full name | Neemia Stanley Tialata | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 July 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Wainuiomata, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 136 kg (300 lb) | ||
| School | Wellington College, Parkway College | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Prop | ||
| New Zealand No. | 1060 | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| Petone Rugby Club | |||
| Provincial/State sides | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2003–present | Wellington | 38 | (25) |
| correct as of 2007-05-27. | |||
| Super Rugby | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2004–present | Hurricanes | 87 | (15) |
| Current local club | Petone | ||
| correct as of May 14, 2010. | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2005–present | All Blacks | 43 | (5) |
| correct as of 2010-06-26. | |||
Neemia Stanley Tialata (born 15 July 1982 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand)[1] is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. As well as representing New Zealand, he also plays for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and for Wellington in the Air New Zealand Cup when available.
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Tialata was born in Lower Hutt but moved, when he was one, to American Samoa with his parents who were undergoing religious training in Kanana Fou Theological Seminary. The family returned to their vocation in New Zealand when Tialata was five with his late mother Sipoutasi, late father Rev. Pelema and sisters. He was the only boy and was the third child out of the four.
His father died after a year of serving at the CCCAS church in Porirua, New Zealand followed by his mother four years after. Tialata and his three sisters now reside with his aunt whom he now calls his mother (Nu'ulopa) and her five children whom Tialata also now considers his brothers and sisters.
He currently plays his rugby for Frenchtop 14 club Bayonne.
Tialata debuted for Wellington in 2003 and was selected for the Hurricanes in 2004. Tialata thrust himself into the All Blacks selection frame as a young prop with his strong play throughout the 2005 season and made his Test debut in the first match of the All Blacks Home Nations tour – against Wales – in November that year. Formerly a loosehead prop, Tialata now concentrates his efforts on the tighthead side of the scrum but retains the valuable ability to cover both sides.
He was dropped from the 2010 Tri Nations squad due to poor form.[2]
In his downtime from rugby he is a keen guitar player and an artist with a flair for painting. He also has designed tattoos for himself and some of his teammates, most notably Ma'a Nonu who has one of Tialata's creations on his arm. Tialata himself has a large tattoo on his arm and back depicting his own background, family and life.
Tialata comes from a family with a strong musical background, including his younger sister, who plays the organ for the choir of their church EFKAS Kanana Fou in Wainuiomata. His hero/role model Tana Umaga, Michael Umaga, and Justin Va'a also attend the same church. When he has free time he goes to church and is an active member of the choir and is also still in Sunday School and the youth. He enjoys the company of his Christian church family. He has a two nieces who he lives with whose names are Tasi Tialata and Vineta.
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