Matt Rua
Encyclopedia
Matthew Rua is a former professional rugby league
player.
.
Rua signed for the Melbourne Storm
in 1998 and played 100 games for the club before being released at the end of the 2002 season.
He signed with the Canberra Raiders
for the 2003 season, but walked out of his contract before the season started for personal reasons.
In 2006 he played for the Waitakere Rangers
in the Bartercard Cup
before being signed by the Central Comets
in the Queensland Cup
.
This was enough to get him signed by the Melbourne Storm in 2007. However he only played one first grade game that season, his first since 2002, in Melbourne's round 13 win over the New Zealand Warriors
at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland. He retired at the end of the year.
eleven times between 199 and 2001, including the 2000 World Cup
.
heritage and has been involved with the Cook Islands
national team as a coach.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player.
Playing career
Rua was a Manly Warringah Sea Eagles junior in 1996 and played for the Junior KiwisJunior Kiwis
The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. They are not necessarily an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby league team. They are...
.
Rua signed for the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
in 1998 and played 100 games for the club before being released at the end of the 2002 season.
He signed with the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
for the 2003 season, but walked out of his contract before the season started for personal reasons.
In 2006 he played for the Waitakere Rangers
Waitakere Rangers
The Waitakere Rangers were a franchise in the now defunct Bartercard Cup rugby league competition in New Zealand. They represented five clubs based in Waitakere City including the Glenora Bears who previously represented the City in the Bartercard Cup. The other four clubs were the Waitemata...
in the Bartercard Cup
Bartercard Cup
The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...
before being signed by the Central Comets
Central Comets
Central Queensland Capras are an semi-professional rugby league football club based in Rockhampton, Queensland. They currently play in the Queensland Cup, the premier rugby league competition in Queensland....
in the Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
.
This was enough to get him signed by the Melbourne Storm in 2007. However he only played one first grade game that season, his first since 2002, in Melbourne's round 13 win over the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland. He retired at the end of the year.
Representative career
Rua represented New ZealandNew Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
eleven times between 199 and 2001, including the 2000 World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
.
Later years
Rua is of Cook IslandsCook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
heritage and has been involved with the Cook Islands
Cook Islands national rugby league team
-2008 World Cup Qualifying:See 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifyingThe Cook Islands played Fiji, Tonga and Samoa in the Pacific pool of Qualifying for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Fiji and Tonga qualified, and Samoa earned a second chance in the repecharge round...
national team as a coach.