Lote Tuqiri
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Lote Daulako Tuqiri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | [1] Korolevu, Fiji[2] | 23 September 1979|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Wing, Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lote Daulako Tuqiri (born 23 September 1979) is a former professional dual-code
Background
Tuqiri was born in Korolevu, Fiji to mother Titilia and father Tukula and grew up in Namatakula with family including older sister Mela, older brother Tevita and sister Sereana.[10] He moved to Australia with his family at the age of 4, settling at Sunnybank, Queensland (a suburb of Brisbane) where he began playing competitive sport for the Souths Sunnybank Rugby League[11] while attending school at Sunnybank State High School.[12]
Professional career
While signed with the Brisbane Broncos, he also played for the Past Brothers in the Queensland Cup.[13]
Rugby league
Tuqiri won the
Having won the
As early as January 2002 it was being reported that the
At the end of the season, after the announcement of his switch to rugby union, he was overlooked for selection at the end of season Test against New Zealand.[17]
Altogether, Tuqiri played 99 games for Brisbane between 1999 and 2002 and clocked up a tally of 260 points before his switch to rugby union. His last game for the Broncos was the 16–12 preliminary final loss against eventual premiers the Sydney Roosters.
Rugby union
Tuqiri's talent attracted the interest of the
He was one of four former Queensland Maroons players to feature in two of the top three teams in the
In 2004 Tuqiri toured the United Kingdom and France with the Wallabies. On the Wallabies 2005 tour of Europe he was moved in-field to
During 2006–07 there was speculation regarding his future and whether he would stay in rugby union or return to rugby league.[18] Tuqiri had stated that he was considering returning to league after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, following the footsteps of fellow Waratah Mat Rogers. Tuqiri had options to re-sign his contract with either the Waratahs or the Reds in the Super 14, or numerous clubs in the NRL, including the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. After being given a 5:00 pm deadline on 13 March 2007 to either accept or decline the offer from the Australian Rugby Union he announced he had decided to stay in rugby union for the next five years. During a 2007 Super 14 game, Tuqiri pushed Sam Norton-Knight in the back after Norton-Knight "made a poor on-field decision".[19]
Tuqiri's contract would ordinarily have meant that he would stay with the Waratahs and the Wallabies until the year 2012,[20] but on 1 July 2009 the ARU announced an unexplained, immediate termination of the contract.[21] Subsequently, it has been suggested that the reason for the termination of his contract was that he had entertained a 20-year-old student in his room, in breach of strict team rules.[22]
He made his debut for the
Return to rugby league
In February 2010, Tuqiri officially announced a return to rugby league after a seven-year absence. Signing a three-year deal with NRL club Wests Tigers, he was due to arrive in Australia at the end of March, a few weeks into the 2010 NRL season but instead he returned home early to play the Tigers' first home game in the 2010 season against Manly. He played his last game of rugby union against London Irish where his Leicester side won 35–19.[24][25] In his return to rugby league, he scored a try on his first touch of the ball, and at least one try in each of his first three games including a double against the Parramatta Eels on 26 March. His form in his return season for the Tigers continued to be strong[26] and the club came within one match of the 2010 Grand Final.
On 19 October 2010, Tuqiri was officially named in the Australian squad for the Four Nations as a replacement for the injured Jarryd Hayne.[27] He played for the Kangaroos in all four matches, including the final, scoring one try. He became the first code-crosser to play test rugby league for Australia a second time after returning from rugby union.[28]
Wests Tigers made the semis again in 2011, suffering a broken arm, quad strain and an injury to his ankle.[29] Similarly, injury disrupted his 2012 season. He played his first game in round 5, and was a regular on the wing before breaking his upper arm in July. Coach Sheens said at the time, "The arm’s broken, so that’ll be the end of his season."[30]
Before the start of the 2013 season, Tuqiri suffered a setback when scans revealed his broken arm had not healed. He had plates inserted into the arm and underwent bone grafts.[31] He eventually made his return to first grade in round 23, playing in four games for his final season with Wests Tigers.
In September 2013, he signed a short-term contract with Irish rugby union team, Leinster to play in the Pro12 in a three-month deal.[9]
On 22 January, six weeks out from the 2014 NRL season, Tuqiri signed with his third NRL club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, on a one-year deal. This deal is reportedly to add depth to the significantly reduced outside back stocks at the club. Tuqiri's rugby league career was expected to be over following the conclusion of the 2013 NRL season when his previous club, the Wests Tigers opted not to offer Tuqiri an extension to his contract after several injury-plagued season significantly reduced his on-field involvement for the club.
In May 2014, Tuqiri played for
On 5 October 2014, Tuqiri was a part of the South Sydney side who defeated the
Family
Tuqiri is the cousin of his namesake, Fijian-born Japanese Rugby Sevens player
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Lote Tuqiri". yahoo.com. Yahoo! 7 Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ Ritchie, Dean (6 April 2011). "Not being from Queensland no bar to Cane Toad State of Origin selection". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- ^ BBC
- ^ League Central
- ^ RLP
- ^ Waratahs Profiles Archived 22 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ESPN
- ^ Tuqiri ousted by the ARU Archived 8 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Leinster recruit former Wallaby Tuqiri". Planet Rugby. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ Weidler, Danny.My secret life – Lote Tuqiri revealed Sydney Morning Herald 2 February 2003
- ^ Atfield, Cameron Tuqiri signs with Souths Sunnybank Brisbane Times. 26 May 2010
- ^ "Sunnybank SHS Sports Specialisation – Rugby League Programme – News Archive". Sunnybanshs.eq.edu.au. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ Round 22: 15, 16 August Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine queensland.rleague.com
- ^ Hampson, Andy (30 October 2000). "Tuqiri breaks Russia's spirit". The Independent. London. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ "ARU targeting Tuqiri". ABC News. Australia: ABC. 19 January 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ "Tuqiri confident of regaining form" at abc.net.au
- ^ "Tuqiri not shocked by selection snub". ABC News. Australia: ABC. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ "Tuqiri talks with League". Eurosport. 19 December 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ "Don't Look Back in Anger". theroar.com.au.
- ^ Tuqiri to stay in Rugby union till 2012 Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Lote Tuqiri sacked by ARU". The Guardian. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ "Wallaby Lote Tuqiri sacked for having woman in hotel room". The Australian. 6 September 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ "Tigers stun South Africa". Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ "Tigers bring Tuqiri back to NRL". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 4 February 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ "Tuqiri farewells rugby and prepares for return to big league". NZ Herald News. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- ^ Ritchie, Dean (22 July 1901). "Lote back with a whole lotta love". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ "Wests Tigers winger Lote Tuqiri joins Kangaroos squad for Four Nations tournament". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
- ^ "Lote Tuqiri set to become a 'tri-international'". The Roar. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ Steve Jancetic (11 September 2011). "The more footy the better for Tuqiri". Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ "Broken arm could end Tuqiri's career". Zero Tackle. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ "Tuqiri suffers another NRL injury setback". ABC News. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
- ^ Guinness, Rupert (24 September 2014). "South Sydney's Lote Tuqiri is the oldest player in the NRL, but he's still capable of brilliance". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "Rabbitohs Grand Final Player Ratings". 5 October 2014.