Kirisome Auva'a

Kirisome Auva'a

Auva'a playing for the Storm-Sharks mixed team in 2013.
Personal information
Nickname	Somi[1][2]
Born	(1992-02-23) 23 February 1992 Motootua, Samoa
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	98 kg (15 st 6 lb)
Playing information
Position	Centre, Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2014–	South Sydney	21	9	0	0	36
Source: RLP

Kirisome Auva'a (born 23 February 1992) is a Samoan New Zealander professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League. He has played his entire career to date primarily as a Centre for the Rabbitohs, with whom he won the 2014 NRL Premiership.

Background

Born in Motootua, Samoa, Auva'a moved to New Zealand and played his junior football for the Otahuhu Rovers. Auva'a then moved to Australia as a teenager and attended Ipswich Grammar School in Ipswich, Queensland and played rugby league for the Norths Ipswich Tigers. While attending Ipswich Grammar School, he represented the Australian A Schoolboys rugby union side.^[3]

Professional playing career

Auva'a was signed by the Melbourne Storm, playing in their Under-20s team from 2010 to 2012^[4] before joining the Storm's first grade squad and playing for the Storm's New South Wales Cup team, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2013. While playing for Melbourne's NYC side, Auva'a represented Queensland Under 18's in 2010, making him eligible for the senior Queensland Origin team, and was the 18th man for Queensland in the inaugural Under 20's Origin game in 2012.^[5] In 2013, Auva'a played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in their 2013 New South Wales Cup Grand Final win over the Windsor Wolves.^[6]

South Sydney Rabbitohs

In 2014, Auva'a joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs. In Round 6 of the 2014 NRL season, Auva'a made his NRL debut for the Rabbitohs against the Penrith Panthers, playing at Centre and scoring a try in the Rabbitohs 18-2 win at Penrith Stadium.^[7][8] On 28 May 2014, Auva'a entered a guilty plea to charges of recklessly causing injury and criminal damage in Melbourne Magistrates Court after being arrested for a violent attack on an ex-girlfriend in the early hours of January 18. He was fined $2.000 and suspended for 7 days by South Sydney. Magistrate Kate Hawkins deferred her decision for six months. Auva'a was bailed to return to court on 7 November.^[9] On 5 October 2014, in the Rabbitohs 2014 NRL Grand Final match against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Auva’a played at Centre and scored a try in the Rabbitohs 30-6 victory.^[10][11] Auva’a finished his debut year in the NRL in 2014 season with him playing in 21 matches and scoring 9 tries for the Rabbitohs. On 13 November 2014, Auva’a was handed a 9-month suspension from the NRL after he pleaded guilty to reckless damage and criminal damage against his ex-girlfriend. Auva’a has been ordered to complete a secondary prevention counselling program adapted to his needs and covering issues including violence against women, alcohol abuse and anger management. Auva’a will be allowed to return to the field in Round 22 of the 2015 NRL season.^[12][13]

References

External links

• 2014 South Sydney Rabbitohs profile