 Naiyaravoro with theWaratahs in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Taqele Naiyaravolo (1991-12-07)7 December 1991 (age 33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 132 kg (291 lb; 20 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby player | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Taqele Naiyaravoro (born 7 December 1991) is an Australian professionalrugby union andrugby league footballer. His regular playing position is thewing.
Naiyaravoro was born in Sigatoka and attended St Joan Of Arc School. During his younger days was interested in playing rugby union and watchingSuper 12 and his favourite player wasLote Tuqiri.[3] He playedrugby union all through his school days in Fiji and made the national Under 16s team playing both as a winger and flanker. Naiyaravoro was spotted by a player scout from New Zealand during the secondary schools rugby championship in Fiji.[4] He joined Tamaki Sports Academy in NZ and went on to play forOtahuhu Rugby Club in Auckland.
In 2011 Naiyaravoro was recruited to Sydney rugby league clubWests Tigers,[4] where he was playing behind the then incumbent,Pat Richards,David Nofoaluma andMarika Koroibete for a place in the main squad. He played for theBalmain Tigers in theNSW 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 theFiji Bati test team to playPapua New Guinea in November 2011,[5] after a good performance during the "Battle of the Batis".[6] He made his Test debut on the wing for Fiji in their victory over thePNG Kumuls atMount Hagen.
He was selected in theFiji Bati team to the2013 Rugby League World Cup but dropped out after his ankle-injury.[7]
In April 2014, he was selected in to theFiji Bati side again to prepare for their one-off test againstSamoa for a berth in the2014 Rugby League Four Nations but he pulled out because he had signed a rugby union contract with the Waratahs and was prohibited from playing rugby league. He sought release from the West Tigers after being offered a contract to play for New South Wales inSuper Rugby.[8]
Naiyaravoro was signed to theNew South Wales Waratahs followed injuries to regular wingers,Peter Betham andAlofa Alofa.[9] He joined theParramatta Two Blues team in preparation for a starting berth with the Waratahs. He made his rugby union debut in round 7 of theShute Shield againstEastwood where he scored two tries playing on the wing and at inside centre.[10]
On 15 May 2014, he was named on the bench for the WaratahsSuper Rugby round 14 match against theLions, where he made his debut off the bench forAdam Ashley-Cooper at the 70th minute.[11][12] He scored his first try in Round 18, coming off the bench in the 70th minute and scoring the try 7 minutes later against theHighlanders.[13]
In March 2015, he was linked with a move toPro12 joining Scottish club,Edinburgh. The club offered him an annual salary of £175,000 to quit Super rugby. The 3-year contract was to allow him to qualify forScotland under the 3-year residency rule.[14] A strong performance by Naiyaravoro in May caught the eye of Wallabies coachMichael Cheika but on 18 May it was announced that Naiyaravoro had signed a three-year contract with another Scottish team,Glasgow Warriors.[15]
In February 2018 he signed for Northampton Saints in England for the 2018/19 season. He scored his first try for the Saints verses Bristol in a 40-45 win on 29 September.
He was discarded from the final 31-member Wallabies squad for the2015 Rugby World Cup. He was then named in theWorld XV team and on 15 August, he made his debut againstJapan and he scoredthree tries. He was then named in theBarbarians teama week later againstSamoa. He was recalled by Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and added to an extended Wallabies squad to prepare for their one-off test againstUnited States on 5 September. During this match, Naiyaravoro cameoff the bench in the 71st minute to replaceRob Horne on the wing and subsequently scored a try with his first touch of the ball in the 78th minute.
After a season with Glasgow, he returned to Australia and was subsequently named in the preliminary 39 member squad for the upcoming three tests againstEngland.[16] He was named on the bench for the final test and scored a try after being subbed-in 7 minutes earlier. He re-signed with the Waratahs for the2016 Super Rugby season onwards replacing New Zealand winger,Zac Guildford and was named in the Waratahs starting side a week later against theSunwolves.[17]
In October 2016, he was renamed in theBarbarians side for the2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals. He started on the left wing in the first match againstSouth Africa scoring a try and setting up 2 more forLuke Morahan andAndy Ellis and winning the officialman of the match as well.[18]
Taqele Naiyaravoro and his wife Ethel have a daughter and the family did live inSydney.[19]
official man of the match
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