Taqele Naiyaravoro

Club

Narbonne

Position

Wing

Nationality

Fiji

Date of birth

1991-12-07

Birthplace

Sigatoka, Viti Levu, Fiji

Height

195 cm (6 ft 5 in)

Weight

132 kg (20 st 11 lb)

Taqele Naiyaravoro (born 7 December 1991) is an Australian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer. His regular playing position is the wing.

Early life
Naiyaravoro was born in Sigatoka and attended St Joan Of Arc School. During his younger days was interested in playing rugby union and watching Super 12 and his favourite player was Lote Tuqiri. He played rugby union all through his school days in Fiji and made the national Under 16s team playing both as a winger and flanker. Naiyaravoro was spotted by a player scout from New Zealand during the secondary schools rugby championship in Fiji. He joined Tamaki Sports Academy in NZ and went on to play for Otahuhu Rugby Club in Auckland.

Career
Rugby league
In 2011 Naiyaravoro was recruited to Sydney rugby league club Wests Tigers, where he was playing behind the then incumbent, Pat Richards, David Nofoaluma and Marika Koroibete for a place in the main squad. He played for the Balmain Tigers in the NSW Cup. He scored 23 tries in 15 games for the Tigers before an ankle injury ruled him out of the remainder of the season. He was selected into the Fiji Bati test team to play Papua New Guinea in November 2011, after a good performance during the "Battle of the Batis". He made his Test debut on the wing for Fiji in their victory over the PNG Kumuls at Mount Hagen.

He was selected in the Fiji Bati team to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup but dropped out after his ankle-injury.

In April 2014, he was selected in to the Fiji Bati side again to prepare for their one-off test against Samoa for a berth in the 2014 Rugby League Four Nations but he pulled out because he had signed a rugby union contract with the Waratahs and was prohibited from playing rugby league. He sought release from the West Tigers after being offered a contract to play for New South Wales in Super Rugby.

Rugby union

Naiyaravoro playing NRC in 2014
Naiyaravoro was signed to the New South Wales Waratahs followed injuries to regular wingers, Peter Betham and Alofa Alofa. He joined the Parramatta Two Blues team in preparation for a starting berth with the Waratahs. He made his rugby union debut in round 7 of the Shute Shield against Eastwood where he scored two tries playing on the wing and at inside centre.

On 15 May 2014, he was named on the bench for the Waratahs Super Rugby round 14 match against the Lions, where he made his debut off the bench for Adam Ashley-Cooper at the 70th minute. He scored his first try in Ro