Angus Wilkie Faiumiolemau Taavao (born 22 March 1990) is a New Zealand-born rugby union player, currently playing as a prop for the Blues in

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

and

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in the

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. Taavao was called into New Zealand's international team, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

, as injury cover in 2018 and has played 22 tests since his international debut. Taavao was a member of New Zealand's squad in the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...

. Taavao has previously represented the Chiefs in Super Rugby, and

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

in the NPC. New Zealand's domestic rugby competition, as well as

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and the Waratahs in Australia.

Early life

Although born in New Zealand, Taavao would also have been eligible to play international rugby for Australia through his mother, or for Samoa through his father. Taavao was schooled at Dilworth School in Auckland, New Zealand.

Career

Early career

Taavao was selected for the New Zealand U20 side for the 2010 tournament in Argentina, where he captained the side in his first match. He made his

debut in the same year. Taavao was a member of the

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

wider training group in 2011. He was a member of the full Blues squad from the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

until the

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

2016–2018

Taavao signed a two-year contract for the Waratahs and

Sydney Rays Sydney, formerly the Sydney Rays, was an Australian rugby union team that competed in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). It was one of two sides from New South Wales that played in the final season of NRC in 2019; the other was the NSW C ...

for 2016 through 2017. Taavao signed for the Chiefs for the

2018 Super Rugby season The 2018 Super Rugby season was the 23rd season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Argentina, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. After two seasons in which 18 teams participate ...

and became a regular starter for them early in the season, with established All Blacks Nepo Laulala and Atunaisa Moli ruled out with serious injuries. Taavao was one of the best-performing players in the Chiefs during 2018 and was called into the All Blacks, as injury cover for Crusaders prop, Joe Moody. Taavao made his international debut for New Zealand on 29 September 2018, during the fifth round of the 2018 Rugby Championship, against Argentina's Los Pumas, at Buenos Aires. Taavao replaced Blues prop, Ofa Tuungafasi, off the bench in the 51st minute and had a good impact off the bench, contributing towards a highly dominant scrum. The All Blacks beat Los Pumas 35–17, winning the Rugby Championship in the process. Taavao then made two more appearances for New Zealand on their end-of-season tour, including a start in a 69–31 win over Japan.

2019

With Tim Perry not considered for selection due to injury, Taavao was named in New Zealand's squad for the

2019 Rugby Championship The 2019 Rugby Championship was the eighth edition of the annual southern hemisphere The Rugby Championship, Rugby Championship, featuring Argentina national rugby union team, Argentina, Australia national rugby union team, Australia, South Afric ...

. After a start against Argentina and appearing as a substitute against South Africa, as well as the record 26–47 defeat to Australia, Taavao established himself as a regular replacement off the bench for New Zealand, alongside Auckland teammate, Ofa Tuungafasi. On 28 August, All Blacks Head Coach,

Steve Hansen Sir Stephen William Hansen and High Chief of Vaiala, (born 7 May 1959) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He is also the father of Black Ferns assistant coach, Whitney Hansen. He was the head coach of the New Zealand na ...

named Taavao as one of 31 players in New Zealand's squad for the

. With 108-test veteran, Owen Franks missing out on the squad entirely, Taavao's selection received widespread news coverage. Franks claimed that Taavao, as well as Nepo Laulala, "deserve their places in the World Cup squad". Taavao played in all of New Zealand's tests during the competition, starting in a 63–0 victory over Canada, also scoring his first try for New Zealand in a 71–9 win over Namibia. Having proved himself as a star performer for the All Blacks, Taavao also came off the bench in all three knockout tests of the World Cup, with New Zealand beating Wales 40–17 in the Bronze Final, claiming third place.

Honours

New Zealand *

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

Webb Ellis Cup The Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the men's Rugby World Cup, the premier competition in men's international rugby union. The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis, who is often credited as being the inventor of rugby foot ...

**Third-place:

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

**Blues **Super Rugby Pacific **Champions: 2024

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ta{{okinaavao, Angus 1990 births New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand people of Australian descent New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent Blues (Super Rugby) players Auckland rugby union players Taranaki rugby union players Rugby union props Rugby union players from Auckland Living people New South Wales Waratahs players New Zealand international rugby union players Chiefs (Super Rugby) players People educated at Dilworth School Sydney (NRC team) players 2019 Rugby World Cup players 21st-century New Zealand sportsmen