Toby Faletau
Encyclopedia
Tangaki Taulupe "Toby" Faletau (born 12 November 1990, Tofua
, Tonga
) is a Wales international rugby union player. A flank forward, Faletau played for Cross Keys RFC
before joining the Newport Gwent Dragons
.
His father Kuli Faletau represented the Tonga national rugby union team
as a prop forward and appeared in the 1999 Rugby World Cup
. Kuli moved to Wales in 1998 to join Ebbw Vale, taking his 7-year old son with him.
during his younger days, he later attended Trevethin Community School
graduating in 2007 among the last year to graduate at the secondary school. Toby attended Filton college as part of the college's successful rugby academy and received player of the year during his time at the college.
Faletau made his debut for the Newport Gwent Dragons
senior team 1 November 2009 versus Edinburgh.
On 22 December 2009 he was named in the Wales Under 20 Squad
for the 2010 Under-20 Six Nations tournament. In May 2010 he was selected in the Wales Under 20 Squad for the Junior World Cup in Argentina in June 2010.
He was called up to the Wales senior squad on 1 November 2010 following the withdrawal of Ryan Jones
and Rob McCusker
. In January 2011 he was included in the Wales national rugby union team
squad for the 2011 Six Nations Championship
. He made his full international debut for Wales versus the Barbarians on 4 June 2011.
In August 2011 he was named in the Wales squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand. On 11 September 2011 he made his World Cup debut for Wales against South Africa
, scoring his first international try in the second half.
Tofua
Tofua Caldera, in Tonga, is the summit caldera of a steep-sided composite cone that forms Tofua Island. Tofua Island is in Tonga's Ha'apai island group. Pre-caldera activity is recorded by a sequence of pyroclastic deposits and lavas constituting the older cone, followed on the northern part of the...
, 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...
) is a Wales international rugby union player. A flank forward, Faletau played for Cross Keys RFC
Cross Keys RFC
Cross Keys RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Crosskeys. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.- History :...
before joining the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
.
His father Kuli Faletau represented the Tonga national rugby union team
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
as a prop forward and appeared in the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
. Kuli moved to Wales in 1998 to join Ebbw Vale, taking his 7-year old son with him.
Education
Toby attended Pontygof Primary School in Ebbw ValeEbbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
during his younger days, he later attended Trevethin Community School
Trevethin Community School
Trevethin Community School was a non-selective state secondary school in the Pontypool suburb of Penygarn, Wales.The school—established in 1982 as Trevethin Comprehensive School—was originally housed on two sites, the former Pontypool Girls' Grammar School building and the former Trevethin...
graduating in 2007 among the last year to graduate at the secondary school. Toby attended Filton college as part of the college's successful rugby academy and received player of the year during his time at the college.
Career
Talupe spent his early years in Wales playing for New Panteg RFC, until youth level where he moved to Filton College, Bristol, to experience the English game. Prior to his move across the border, he had suffered several setbacks from both the Gwent District organisation and the Newport Gwent Dragons Regional following a poor grass root scouting process operated by the district.Faletau made his debut for the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
senior team 1 November 2009 versus Edinburgh.
On 22 December 2009 he was named in the Wales Under 20 Squad
Wales national under-20 rugby union team
The Wales national Under 20 rugby team is for Welsh rugby union players aged 20 or under on January 1 of the year during which they are selected....
for the 2010 Under-20 Six Nations tournament. In May 2010 he was selected in the Wales Under 20 Squad for the Junior World Cup in Argentina in June 2010.
He was called up to the Wales senior squad on 1 November 2010 following the withdrawal of Ryan Jones
Ryan Jones
Ryan Paul Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays at number eight for the Ospreys. He is able to cover blindside flanker and second row; he played second row in his younger days as he was kept out of his preferred number 8 role by Gareth Delve.-Early life:Jones played junior...
and Rob McCusker
Rob McCusker
Robert "Rob" McCusker is a Wales international rugby union player who currently plays in the back row for the Scarlets in the RaboDirect Pro12.-Club career:...
. In January 2011 he was included in the Wales national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
squad for the 2011 Six Nations Championship
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...
. He made his full international debut for Wales versus the Barbarians on 4 June 2011.
In August 2011 he was named in the Wales squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
in New Zealand. On 11 September 2011 he made his World Cup debut for Wales against South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, scoring his first international try in the second half.