Sam Tuitupou
Encyclopedia
Sam Tuitupou is a New Zealand
international
rugby union
player who plays for Sale
in the Aviva Premiership. His position is Inside Centre.
Tuitupou won world titles as captain for New Zealand at Under-19 and Under-21 level, during his junior career. In his senior career he achieved two Air New Zealand Cup
titles, with Auckland
and in the Super 14
championship with the Blues. Tuitupou also won acclaim on the international stage with his first All Blacks
call-up for the clash with England
at Dunedin in 2004. He played for the All Blacks
between 2004 and 2006, earning ten caps.
In 2007 he signed a contract with Worcester Warriors, and left New Zealand rugby to join his new team after the completion of the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
. His contract with Worcester kept him at Sixways
until June 2010.
Tuitopou moved to Munster
for the 2010/2011 season, replacing Jean de Villiers
as Munster's inside centre. Shortly after gaining his first team place he was banned for 3 weeks after spear-tackling Paul Hodgson during Munster's Heineken Cup pool game against London Irish. In his short time at Munster, he became a fan favourite, being awarded the nickname "Hacksaw Sam" by the Munster supporters. On the 5th of April 2011, Munster rugby announced that Sam would be leaving Munster at the end of the current season. On 11 April 2011, Sale Sharks
announced that Tuitupou had signed for 2 years from the 2011-12 English Premiership season.
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...
international
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
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...
player who plays for Sale
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
in the Aviva Premiership. His position is Inside Centre.
Tuitupou won world titles as captain for New Zealand at Under-19 and Under-21 level, during his junior career. In his senior career he achieved two Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...
titles, with Auckland
Auckland Rugby Football Union
The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
and in the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
championship with the Blues. Tuitupou also won acclaim on the international stage with his first All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
call-up for the clash with England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
at Dunedin in 2004. He played for the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
between 2004 and 2006, earning ten caps.
In 2007 he signed a contract with Worcester Warriors, and left New Zealand rugby to join his new team after the completion of the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
. His contract with Worcester kept him at Sixways
Sixways Stadium
Sixways Stadium is a stadium in Worcester, England. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Worcester Rugby Football Club. The stadium is able to hold 12,068. It opened in 1975 and is located off junction 6 of the M5 motorway, hence the name Sixways.An...
until June 2010.
Tuitopou moved to Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
for the 2010/2011 season, replacing Jean de Villiers
Jean de Villiers
Jean de Villiers is a South African rugby union footballer. He started his career at wing, but now primarily plays centre. De Villiers plays for Western Province and internationally for South Africa....
as Munster's inside centre. Shortly after gaining his first team place he was banned for 3 weeks after spear-tackling Paul Hodgson during Munster's Heineken Cup pool game against London Irish. In his short time at Munster, he became a fan favourite, being awarded the nickname "Hacksaw Sam" by the Munster supporters. On the 5th of April 2011, Munster rugby announced that Sam would be leaving Munster at the end of the current season. On 11 April 2011, Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
announced that Tuitupou had signed for 2 years from the 2011-12 English Premiership season.