Taqele Naiyaravoro

Taqele Naiyaravoro
Personal information
Born 7 December 1991
Yasawa Island, Fiji
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 120 kg (18 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position Wing/Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014 Wests Tigers 0 0 0 0 0
Rugby union
Position Wing/ Flanker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014– Parramatta Two Blues 5 7 0 0 35
2014– Greater Sydney Rams 4 4 0 0 20
Total 9 11 0 0 55
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014– NSW Waratahs 11 4 0 0 20
As of 11 April 2015

Taqele Naiyaravoro (born 7 December 1991 in Yasawa Island, Fiji) is a Fijian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. His regular playing position is on the wing.

Career

Naiyaravoro was born in Suva. He attended Suva Grammar School and during his younger days was interested in playing rugby union and watching Super 12 and his favourite player was Lote Tuqiri.[1] He played rugby union all through his school days in Fiji and made the national Under 16s team playing both as a winger and flanker. He was spotted by a NZ scout during the secondary schools rugby championship in Fiji.[2]

When he joined the Tigers, he was playing behind the then incumbent, Pat Richards, David Nofoaluma and Marika Koroibete for a place in the main squad. He played for the Balmain Tigers in the NSW Cup. He scored 23 tries in 15 games for the Tigers before an ankle injury ruled him out of the remainder of the season. He was selected into the Fiji Bati team for the Vodafone Cup in 2011[3] after a good performance during the "Battle of the Batis".[3]

He was selected in the Fiji Bati team to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup but dropped out after his ankle-injury.[3]

In April 2014, he was selected in to the Fiji Bati side again to prepare for their one-off test against Samoa for a berth in the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations but he pulled out because he had signed a rugby union contract with the Waratahs and was not allowed to play any more rugby league. He sought release from the West Tigers after being offered a contract to play for NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby.[4] His Waratahs signing followed injuries to regular wingers, Peter Betham and Alofa Alofa.[5] He will join another Fijian in the squad, Ben Volavola. He joined the Parramatta Two Blues team in preparation for a starting berth with the Waratahs. He made his rugby union debut in round 7 of the Shute Shield against Eastwood where he scored two tries playing on the wing and at inside centre.[6]

On 15 May 2014, he was named on the bench for the Waratahs Super Rugby round 14 match against the Lions, where he made his debut off the bench for Adam Ashley-Cooper at the 70th minute.[7][8] He scored his first try in Round 18, coming off the bench in the 70th minute and scoring the try 7 minutes later against the Highlanders.[9]

Personal life

In 2013, Naiyaravoro married Ethel Geier. They have a 11-month-old daughter named Ella Clara Naiyaravoro.

Reference list

External links