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TEVITA LATU
Nickname(s): Tee/ Vita
Position: Hooker
Age: 26
Date of birth: 3/07/1981
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 13 st 11 lbs (88 kg)
Place of birth: Auckland, New Zealand
Previous Clubs: 2003 - 05 Warriors, 22 appearances - 12 points. 2006 Cronulla, 10 appearances - 4 points, 2007-present Wakefield Trinity, 7 appearances - 4 points
Representative teams: 2004 New Zealand, 1 appearance
Tevita Leo-Latu (born July 3, 1981 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby league player for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League (Europe) competition, Latu previously played for the New Zealand Warriors and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League. His usual position is at hooker though he can also play in the halves.
Childhood and early career
Coached for many of his junior years under Richmond old boy & 'Lahorz' member Matthew Guttenbeil playing grand finals football for a number of years. A number of representative players were coached under Matthew to eventually play at higher honours such as Tevita & Wayne McDade. In 2000, Tevita played alongside team mates Karl Guttenbeil and Daniel Vasaau representing the New Zealand secondary schools.
Team mates Taetafa Tauua (Fa), Karl Guttenbeil & Daniel Vasau eventually played alongside Tevita in the combined Bartercard Cup Franchise Marist-Richmond. Whilst a number of other team mates such as Ben Collins, Jade Tiniteila and the like played for the Richmond Premier Fox memorial grade team who advanced eventually losing to the Northcote Tigers in the Fox Memorial Competition final in 2000.
Latu began playing rugby league at a young age in Auckland for his local club side Richmond, though he did not start to seriously contemplate a professional career in league until his late teens when he started playing for the Marist Richmond Brothers club in the New Zealand Bartercard Cup competition. It was there where his skills were noticed by the New Zealand Warriors whom immediately signed him up to their playing roster for the beginning of the 2003 season.
New Zealand Warriors
Latu made his debut (107th NZ Warrior) for the New Zealand side coming off the bench at Ericsson Stadium, Auckland June 7, 2003 during round twelve of the 2003 season against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, a match in which Tevita helped his club to a good victory of 23 to 6.
He spent the next two seasons at the club falling both in and out of favour with the team's selectors seeing him make only a further thirteen appearances from 2003-2004 for the club after his debut.
After some loss of form and falling out of favour with the Warriors coaching staff during the 2005 season where he was only given a mere eight appearances, the club decided to release Latu at the completion of the NRL season.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Tevita signed for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at the beginning of the 2006 season, immediately becoming a regular selection in the Sharks seventeen. He was often used as an interchange hooker often replacing Kevin Kingston on the field for the Sharks adding a much needed attacking spark. Latu played a total of ten games for the club before being involved in an off field assault and subsequently having his contract terminated by the club.
Wakfield Trinity Wildcats:
The New Zealand International joined the Wildcats mid-way through the 2006 season from Cronulla Sharks. A fast, talented hooker with good passing skills and the ability to break from dummy-half. Tevita played in the Wildcats last three matches of the season against St.Helens, Bradford and Castleford and caused all three teams problems from the hooking position. His strengths lie in his pace around the ruck, his passing ability and aggresive defence.
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