Whetu Taewa (born 19 October 1970) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand six times between 1989 and 1996.
Playing career
New Zealand
Whetu was born on the West Coast, New Zealand and started playing
rugby league there; all grades up to the West Coast Representative side. In 1987 he made the New Zealand under 17's training squad and also débuted in the West Coast rugby union side.
[ 1987 Lion Red Rugby League Annual, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1987. p.p.118-127] Taewa made the
Junior Kiwis in 1988. In 1989 he moved to
Christchurch and played for the Hallswell club. This was the year he first made the New Zealand national rugby league team, joining their tour to
Great Britain. From 1990 to 1993 he was part of the successful Canterbury side of the era and again joined the Kiwis on the 1993 tour of Great Britain and France.
[ Kiwi Player Profiles NZLeague.co.nz] He played 4 games for the West Coast and 37 games for Canterbury.
[Richard Becht. A New Breed Rising: The Warriors Winfield Cup Challenge. Auckland, HarperCollins, 1994. . p.183] He played in the 1992 Pacific Cup for the New Zealand Māori side. In 1993 he was invited to be part of an Auckland Invitational XIII side that drew 16-all with the
Balmain Tigers.
[Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. , p.298.]
In 1996 he played in the GB lions tour of New Zealand playing for the New Zealand Maori at centre coming up with a brilliant 40 points to 28 victory.
It was the Māoris best win in over 15 years.
Australian Rugby League
In 1994 he signed with the Auckland Warriors who were to be a new team in the Australian Rugby League premiership. He moved up to
Auckland and played for the in the Lion Red Cup that year and represented Auckland in their Rugby League Cup challenge.
[ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1994. p.164] In 1995 he was in the inaugural run on side for the Warriors in their first match against the
Brisbane Broncos.
[ Warriors 1995-2008 Warriors Official Site]
However, in 1996 he was released from the club and he joined the North Queensland Cowboys.
[ Try Scoreres: Whetu Taewa rleague.com] Taewa toured PNG in 1996 with the New Zealand Māori.
England
In 1997 he joined the
Sheffield Eagles in the
Super League competition.
[ 1997 Super League: Sheffield Eagles rugby-league-world.com] Taewa played in Sheffield Eagles' 17–8 victory over
Wigan Warriors in the 1998 Challenge Cup Final during Super League III at Wembley Stadium,
London on Saturday 2 May 1998.
In 1999 he joined Hull Kingston Rovers who played in the Northern Ford Premiership, the division below the Super League.[ 2000 Northern Ford Premiership Guide The Telegraph, 29 November 2000] He became the captain in 2000, before retiring at the end of the 2002 season.
Coaching and later years
In 2003 he was an assistant coach for Hull Kingston Rovers before he returned home to New Zealand.
[ Whetu Is Number Two As Linnane Makes Plans Hull Daily Mail, 28 October 2002] Taewa left Hull KR after a family friend fell ill in New Zealand.
[ 'It'S The Hardest Decision I'Ve Ever Made' Hull Daily Mail, 6 February 2003] He now resides in Cromwell.
Honours
As Taewa represented the New Zealand national rugby league team while playing for the Haswell club, he was rewarded with Honorary life membership at the club.
[ Kiwis Honours Board Hornets.co.nz]
Sources
External links
