Taqele Naiyaravoro rugby player
Taqele Naiyaravoro rugby player

Taqele Naiyaravoro

7th Dec 1991 1.95m/130kg Left Wing

After a stint in rugby league with the Balmain Tigers, Naiyaravoro began his senior union career with the Sydney-based Parramatta Two Blues in the Shute Shield, moving to the Waratahs in 2014. Standing at 6'5 and 19 stone, the powerful Fijian winger put in some bruising performances for the Waratahs in Super Rugby which lead to him being touted for a possible Wallabies call up through residency.

Naiyaravoro made his Australia debut back in 2015 against the USA in Chicago. Good form saw Naiyaravoro named in the Australia squad to face England in 2016 – coming on in the final Test to score against a Red Rose side. Yet in May 2015, it was confirmed that Glasgow Warriors of the PRO12 had signed Naiyaravoro on a long term deal from the Waratahs.

The 2016 Super Rugby season saw him re-sign with the Waratahs and was named in the Waratahs starting side a week later against the Sunwolves.

In February 2018, Naiyaravoro revealed that he will join Northampton Saints for the 2018/19 campaign, following the completion of the Super Rugby season.

125kg Naiyaravoro is widely known in the Southern Hemisphere for his immense ball-carrying ability – but Scottish rugby fans will remember his turn north of the border when he scored nine tries in 22 appearances for Glasgow Warriors during the 2015/16 season.

Naiyaravoro arrived in Northampton for the 2018/19 season just weeks after he had broken the Waratahs’ single-season try-scoring record in Super Rugby. During his two stints with the Waratahs, Naiyaravoro scored 29 tries in 47 appearances.

The Fijian-born behemoth instantly became a Saints supporter favourite for his immense ball-carrying ability, leaving opposition defenders strewn in his wake as he made some 28 appearances during an explosive debut season at Saints. That first campaign saw him score 11 tries, making more metres and clean breaks than any other player in the Premiership, and becoming the only player to beat a century of defenders in one league season since data has been recorded.

He has 10 European caps ahead of the 2019/20 season scoring 5 tries.

Career

Untitled design (1) Green Rockets Tokatsu
Left Wing
2022 - present
image World XV
Left Wing
2015 - 2015
warriorslogo Glasgow Warriors
Left Wing
2015 - 2016
australia Australia
Left Wing
2015 - 2016
wild Saitama Wild Knights
Left Wing
2016 - 2016
waratahs NSW Waratahs
Left Wing
2014 - 2018
image Greater Sydney Rams
Left Wing
2014 - 2018
Barbarians_Logo Barbarians
Right Wing
2016 - 2018
1280 Northampton Saints
Left Wing
2018 - 2022