Curtis Rona

Curtis Rona
Personal information
Born 26 May 1992
Waitara, New Zealand
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 105 kg (16 st 7 lb)
Playing information
Position Centre, Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014 North Queensland 7 6 0 0 24
2015– Canterbury Bulldogs 8 9 0 0 36
Total 15 15 0 0 60
Source: RLP

Curtis Rona (born 26 May 1992) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the National Rugby League competition. Rona primarily plays on the wing and centre. Rona is of Māori descent.[1]

Background

Born in Waitara in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand, Rona moved to Perth, Western Australia when he was eight. In Perth, Rona attended Aranmore Catholic College, where he played for their rugby union side and represented Western Australia at the Under 15, Under 16 and Schoolboy level. Rona played junior rugby league for the Joondalup Giants in the Western Australia Rugby League competition.[2] Furthermore, he played rugby union for the Wanneroo Districts juniors and was a member of the Western Force academy.[3] In 2009, Rona made the full-time switch to rugby league and was a member of the Western Reds SG Ball side and represented the Western Australia Under 18 side.[4][5] Later that year, Rona signed a three-year deal with the Sydney Roosters. In 2010-2012, Rona played for the Roosters Holden Cup side playing 39 matches and scoring 23 tries. In 21 July 2012, Rona signed a two-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys.[6] Later that year, Rona represented the Junior Kiwis.[7] In 2013, Rona joined the Cowboys first grade squad spending the 2013 season playing for the Cowboys feeder team, the Mackay Cutters, in the Queensland Cup. On 17 July 2013, Rona represented the Queensland Residents side.[8][9]

North Queensland Cowboys 2014

2014

In 2014, Rona was a member of the Cowboys victorious Auckland Nines side, in which he scored two tries in the final against the Brisbane Broncos.[10][11] In Round 7 of the 2014 NRL season Rona made his NRL debut against the Manly Sea Eagles on the wing, scoring a try in the Cowboys 26-21 loss at Central Coast Stadium.[12][13] On 20 August 2014, Rona signed a 2-year contract with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs starting in 2015.[14] Rona finished off his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 7 matches and scoring 6 tries (24p) for the North Queensland Cowboys in the 2014 NRL season.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2015-

2015

On 23 January 2015, Rona was named in the Bulldogs 2015 Auckland Nines squad.[15] In Round 1 of the 2015 NRL season, Rona made his club debut for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs against the Penrith Panthers at on the wing, scoring a try in the Bulldogs 24-18 loss at Penrith Stadium.[16]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/sport/7890659/2012-Taranaki-Maori-Sports-Awards
  2. ↑ Stewart, Antony (22 April 2014). "North Queensland Cowboys Perth Product Curtis Rona strengthens West Coast Pirates NRL expansion case". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  3. ↑ https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/rugby-league/a/15111139/former-joondalup-giant-breaks-new-ground-as-kiwi/
  4. ↑ http://westcoastpirates.com.au/wa-sg-ball-alumni-chosen-for-junior-kiwis-squad/
  5. ↑ http://stevemascord.com/2014/02/25/curtis-set-to-be-a-northern-force/
  6. ↑ http://www.zerotackle.com/nrl/north-queensland-signing-cost-6717/
  7. ↑ http://www.nzrl.co.nz/junior-kiwis/junior-kiwis-2012.aspx
  8. ↑ http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-2984-0-0-0&sID=176538&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=24494147
  9. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nsw-cup-representatives-edge-queensland-residents-in-curtain-raiser/story-fni3fr51-1226680949883
  10. ↑ http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/squads-auckland-nines/
  11. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/the-north-queensland-cowboys-have-won-their-first-piece-of-silverware-at-the-auckland-nines/story-fni3fbgz-1226828463504
  12. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/north-queensland-cowboys-hand-curtis-rona-his-nrl-debut-for-the-clash-with-manly/story-fni3g8pa-1226886939810
  13. ↑ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/gutsy-manly-sea-eagles-steal-victory-from-north-queensland-cowboys-in-controversial-thriller/story-fni3fbgz-1226889202561
  14. ↑ http://www.zerotackle.com/nrl/bulldogs-sign-curtis-rona-14586/
  15. ↑ http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/auckland-nines-2015-josh-morris-headlines-strong-squad-named-by-canterbury-bulldogs/story-e6frf3pu-1227194200511
  16. ↑ http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-match-report/penrith-panthers-hold-on-for-victory-despite-a-late-comeback-from-canterbury-bulldogs-20150308-13yf4n.html

External links