Jazz Tevaga

Jazz Iosefa Tevaga (born 4 September 1995) is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL.

Jazz Tevaga
Personal information
Full nameJazz Iosefa Tevaga
Born (1995-09-04) 4 September 1995
Christchurch, New Zealand
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Weight94 kg (14 st 11 lb)
Playing information
PositionLock, Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2016– New Zealand Warriors 69 5 0 0 20
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2017– Samoa 4 1 0 0 4
As of 18 November 2020
Source: [2]

Early years

Tevaga was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is of Samoan and European descent.[3]

Tevaga played his junior football for the Burnham Chevaliers in Christchurch and Papakura Sea Eagles in Auckland and he attended Papakura High School, where he played in the 2013 National Secondary School championship and was selected for the tournament team.[4]

Playing career

Holden Cup

In January 2014, Tevaga attended a Junior Warriors training camp as an open trialist before being signed by the New Zealand Warriors, and playing in the Holden Cup. On 5 October 2014, Tevaga played at lock in the Warriors 2014 Holden Cup grand final winning team who beat the Brisbane Broncos 34-32.[5] In 2015 he played both for the Junior Warriors (where he was co-captain) and in the NSW Cup.[6] On 2 May 2015, Tevaga played for the Junior Kiwis against the Junior Kangaroos, starting at lock in the 22-20 loss at Cbus Super Stadium.[7][8]

Originally a lock, Tevaga was converted to a hooker during the 2014 season as he was considered too small for the lock position.

2016

In Round 3 of the 2016 NRL season, Tevaga made his debut for the New Zealand Warriors against the Melbourne Storm as a replacement for an injured Issac Luke in the Warriors 21-14 loss at Mt Smart Stadium.[9][10] Tevaga became Warrior #209, and played 59 minutes due to an injury to bench hooker Nathaniel Roache.[11]

2017

He played just 4 NRL games for the Warriors in 2017.

He represented Samoa in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and played all four games as the starting hooker, scoring a try in their loss to Tonga.[12]

2018

In 2018 he cemented a position as a bench hooker for the Warriors, filling in for the starting 9 Issac Luke. He appeared in 20 games, 19 of which from the bench. His performance as a specialist bench player was rewarded at the 2018 Dally M Awards when he was given the first Interchange Player Of The Year award.[13]

2019

Tevaga made 22 appearances for New Zealand in the 2019 NRL season as the club missed out on the finals.[14]

2020

Tevaga made 12 appearances for New Zealand in the 2020 NRL season as the club once again missed out on the finals.[15]

References
  1. "Jazz Tevaga". nrl.com. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  2. Jazz Tevaga rugbyleagueproject.org
  3. "Jazz Tevaga #JuniorWarriors #Samoan #Maori #Leulumoega #Leauvaa #Tainui #NgatiPorou". igPile.
  4. Tevaga wins place in tournament squad Papakura Courier, 11 September 2013
  5. "Warriors survive Broncos scare to win Holden Cup". NRL - The official site of the National Rugby League - NRL.com.
  6. "Tevaga to debut". New Zealand Warriors. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  7. "2015 JUNIOR KIWIS NAMED". Rugby League Week.
  8. DAVID LONG (2 May 2015). "Junior Kangaroos edge Junior Kiwis by two in thriller on Gold Coast". Stuff.
  9. DAVID LONG AT MT SMART STADIUM (20 March 2016). "Storm coach Craig Bellamy feeling for Andrew McFadden after Warriors lose". Stuff.
  10. "Melbourne Storm beat New Zealand Warriors for third NRL win". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. "Warriors v Storm: Five key points". NRL - The official site of the National Rugby League - NRL.com.
  12. https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/world-cup/tonga-down-samoa-3218-to-set-up-blockbuster-world-cup-clash-against-new-zealand/news-story/75481ce8f524b644fcdfb8c9f72f94b7
  13. https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2018/09/26/tevaga-wins-dally-m-interchange-award/
  14. "New Zealand Warriors NRL finals hopes over after thrashing at hands of Sydney Roosters". www.nzherald.co.nz.
  15. "Warriors to make finals in 2021". www.nrl.com.
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