Vai Toutai
![]() Toutai playing for the Wentworthville Magpies in 2012. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Vai Afu Toutai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia | 28 January 1993||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 103 kg (16 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Wing, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] |
Vai Toutai (born 28 January 1993) is a former professional Tonga international rugby league footballer who last played as a centre and on the wing for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW.
Background
[edit]Born in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Toutai is of Tongan descent and attended Eagle Vale High School. He played his junior rugby league for Campbelltown City Kangaroos and Fairfield United before being signed by the Parramatta Eels.[2]
Playing career
[edit]2013
[edit]Toutai played for Parramatta's NYC team in 2011 and 2012, scoring 12 tries in 29 games.[3] In round 2 of the 2013 NRL season, Toutai made his NRL debut for the Eels against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, replacing injured winger Ken Sio in the Eels 20–16 loss at ANZ Stadium.[4] In his next match in round 3 against the Wests Tigers, Toutai scored his NRL first try in the Eels 31–18 loss at Leichhardt Oval.[5] Toutai finished off his debut year with him playing in 15 matches and scoring 4 tries (16p) as the club finished last on the table for a second consecutive year.[6]
2014
[edit]On 14 February 2014, Toutai was selected in the Eels inaugural 2014 NRL Auckland Nines squad.[7] In round 1 against the New Zealand Warriors, Toutai scored a hat-trick in the Eels 36–16 win at Parramatta Stadium.[8] On 5 June 2014, Toutai extended his contract with the Eels for a further 3 years till the end of the 2017 NRL season.[9] On 19 July 2014, Toutai dropped the ball over the line twice in a 32–12 defeat by South Sydney.[10] In round 23 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium, Toutai was the centre of the Eels controversial 18–16 loss after Toutai received a pass from the Eels ball boy after halfback Chris Sandow kicked a 40/20 then Toutai passing the ball to Sandow to race over to score the winning try for the Eels but was disallowed after the ball boy didn't place the ball on the ground.[11] Toutai finished off the Eels 2014 season having played in 10 matches and scoring 8 tries. On 16 October 2014, he was named in the Tonga squad to play against the Papua New Guinea national rugby league team in Lae.[12] He played on the wing in Tonga's 32–18 loss.[13]
2015
[edit]Toutai appeared in two matches for the Parramatta club in the 2015 season.[14]
2016
[edit]On 1 February, Toutai was named in the Eels' 2016 NRL Auckland Nines squad.[15] On 7 May, he played for Tonga against Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup.[16] In December 2016, Toutai's contract with Parramatta was terminated after it was revealed he was involved in a brawl with Outlaw Bikie member in which he glassed them with a bottle. The Bikie reportedly vowed to exact revenge on Toutai.[17]
2018
[edit]After a year out of the game, Toutai signed a contract to join Intrust Super Premiership NSW side the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles.[18][19]
References
[edit]- ^ "Vai Toutai – Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project. 28 January 1993. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ "2010 Parramatta Eels SG Ball Squad [Archive] – The Front Row Forum :: Rugby League". Forums.leagueunlimited.com. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ [1] Archived 18 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Parramatta Eels Take on the Cantebury Bulldogs in NRL Round 2". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Wests Tigers v Parramatta Eels". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Parramatta Eels work to erase bitter memories of 2013's wooden spoon season". The Daily Telegraph. 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Squads For Auckland Nines". Rugby League Week. 14 February 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Hat Trick Heroes Semi Radradra, Vai Toutai Inspire Electric Eels to Win over Warriors". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Parramatta Eels Safeguard Their Future After Re-Signing Manu Mau, Kenny Edwards and Vai Toutai". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Rabbitohs beat Eels 32-12 in Parramatta". ABC News. 18 July 2014.
- ^ Adam Pengilly (15 August 2014). "Parramatta coach Brad Arthur rages at referees' handling of ballboy pass to Vai Toutai". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Png & Tonga Squads Named For Test Match". Rugby League Week. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "PNG beat Tonga in Lae". Loverugbyleague.com. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Custom Match List". Rugby League Project. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Eels name 2016 Nines squad". Rugby League Week. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ^ "Samoa holds on in pulsating Pacific Test". National Rugby League. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ "Eels Toutai part ways after alleged bikie glassing". WWOS.
- ^ "Intrust Super Premiership NSW Vai Toutai". NSWRL.
- ^ "John Folau returns to enjoy his football with Blacktown Workers". hawkesburygazette.com.au.
External links
[edit]- 1993 births
- Living people
- Australian sportspeople of Tongan descent
- Australian rugby league players
- Blacktown Workers players
- Junior Kangaroos players
- Parramatta Eels players
- Rugby league centres
- Rugby league players from Sydney
- Rugby league wingers
- Tonga national rugby league team players
- Tongan rugby league players
- Wentworthville Magpies players