Anthony Tuitavake
Encyclopedia
Anthony Tuitavake (born 12 February 1982 in Auckland
, New Zealand
) is a New Zealand
rugby union
footballer. He plays his rugby as a centre or on the wing. Tuitavake, of Tonga
n descent, is a fast attacking centre, who not only finishes backline moves himself, but also has the vision to create space and scoring opportunities for his outsides. He had a great season in 2005 for both the Highlanders and North Harbour
before turning out for the Blues in the 2006 Super 14
. He played for the world champion New Zealand Under 19 side in 2001 and for the New Zealand Under 21 team in 2002. Tuitavake is also a former New Zealand Sevens
representative, winning a Commonwealth Games
gold medal in 2002 in Manchester and then a world title the following year. He plays his club rugby for Massey
. Tuitavake was named in the 2008 All Blacks squad; making him All Black number 1072. He made his All Black debut, starting in the 14 jersey, on 7 June against Ireland. He scored against Scotland and made 3 big hits against England
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He plays his rugby as a centre or on the wing. Tuitavake, of Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n descent, is a fast attacking centre, who not only finishes backline moves himself, but also has the vision to create space and scoring opportunities for his outsides. He had a great season in 2005 for both the Highlanders and North Harbour
North Harbour Rugby Union
The North Harbour Rugby Union , commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes in the ITM Cup , the successor to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship .-Area:Harbour Rugby encompasses a...
before turning out for the Blues in the 2006 Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
. He played for the world champion New Zealand Under 19 side in 2001 and for the New Zealand Under 21 team in 2002. Tuitavake is also a former New Zealand Sevens
New Zealand national rugby union team (sevens)
The New Zealand national rugby union sevens team is the New Zealand representative team in rugby union sevens and competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-IRB Sevens:...
representative, winning a Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
gold medal in 2002 in Manchester and then a world title the following year. He plays his club rugby for Massey
Massey Rugby Club
The Massey Rugby Club is a New Zealand rugby union club located in Massey, Waitakere City. They are part of the North Harbour Rugby Union and compete in their competitions.-History:...
. Tuitavake was named in the 2008 All Blacks squad; making him All Black number 1072. He made his All Black debut, starting in the 14 jersey, on 7 June against Ireland. He scored against Scotland and made 3 big hits against England