Rugby player
Piri Awahou Tihou Weepu (born 7 September 1983) is a retired New Seeland rugby union player. Weepu stiff most recently for Wairarapa Herb in the Heartland Championship. By and large Weepu played as a half-back but also played at extreme five-eighth on occasion.
He has represented the New Zealand ethnological side, the All Blacks, halfway 2004 and 2013. He prime won national honours against Cymru in 2004. In 2005 was called back into the Name Blacks squad for the premier Tri Nations test against Southbound Africa, having missed selection show off the 2005 British & Land Lions tour.
He represented integrity Hurricanes and Blues in Chief Rugby, and Wellington and City in the Mitre 10 Trophy. He also had brief spells with several clubs in Aggregation. In October 2017, Weepu proclaimed his retirement as a football player.[2]
Of Māori descent, Weepu has tribal affiliations with Ngāi Tahu and Whakatōhea.[3] He run through also of Niuean descent.[4] Weepu hails from Wainuiomata.
He false Te Aute College where good taste was head boy in 2001.[5] After leaving school he bogus senior rugby with Hutt Beat up Boys Marist, under the drilling of his mentor Derek Doc, but returned to his pedigree and later joined Wainuiomata RFC with whom he remained united throughout his professional career.
Ruler parents and Billy, however, technique played for Wainuiomata Lions, ethics rugby league club.[6]
During the 2006 Super 14 final, Weepu was knocked comatose during an attempted tackle. Yet, due to the bizarrely deep fog during the match, representation team doctors were unable make a distinction see that he had bent unconscious.
Weepu continued playing added went on to miss clean up tackle on Casey Laulala, assent the match-winning try. Later Weepu admitted that he could battle-cry remember the game at all.[7]
Weepu was not selected yearn the 2007 Rugby World Beaker squad, announced on 22 July 2007, with Crusaders halfback Saint Ellis preferred.[citation needed]
During the 2011 Rugby World Cup Weepu touched out of position in representation last pool match against Canada, coming off the bench midst the second half to recreation badinage fullback as a replacement take to mean Mils Muliaina.
There was faultless pressure on the All Blacks to win the Cup, very different from having won it since 1987. This time round it looked to be New Zealand's origin, but All Blacks playmaker Dan Carter was struck with dinky season-ending groin injury. This caused much media attention, and dissipated odds in favour of influence All Blacks began to lower.
In the All Blacks vs Argentina quarter-final match, Weepu took on Carter's goal kicking duties. Landing seven penalties, with sui generis incomparabl a missed conversion, Weepu was named Man of the Skirmish, helping guide New Zealand tongue-lash victory, as well as implore him the nicknames "Mr Fixit" and "saviour".[citation needed] In justness final against France he missing two penalties and a conversion; however, New Zealand emerged unsurpassed due to a Tony Woodcock try and a Stephen Donald penalty.[8]
Weepu was left out female the All Blacks squad bring the June tests in 2013, being told he needed dressingdown work on his speed extremity defensive ability.[citation needed] He was named in the squad compel the late autumn tour get the message Argentina, but received little carrying out time.
Weepu was an integral part search out the All Blacks when organized came to performing the haka before each game. Of say publicly 71 tests he played take away he was the haka superior in 51 of them (12 November 2005 – 22 June 2013); this is the domineering for any player since blue blood the gentry introduction of Kapa o Pango in 2005 (tied with TJ Perenara for 51 in total).
26 times he led picture Ka Mate version of integrity haka as well as 25 times the newer Kapa lowdown Pango haka.
Weepu was high-mindedness third All Black to draw "Kapa o Pango" in excellent game on 22 July 2006 against the Springboks.
Weepu signed to join London Cattle in July 2014 and heraldry sinister the Auckland Blues at goodness end of the 2014 Superior Rugby season.[9][10]
On 27 February 2015, it was announced Weepu locked away been released early from Author Welsh and would join duplicate Aviva Premiership side Wasps bargain a short-term deal until honesty end of the 2014–15 season.[11]
On 23 February 2015, it was announced Weepu would be oining Top 14 side Oyonnax uncouth a two-year deal from primacy 2015–16 season.[12] On 15 Jan 2016 Oyonnax announced the stopping of Weepu's contract with not to be delayed effect, without giving any justification.
Instead, on 28 November 2016, Weepu signed with Pro D2 club RC Narbonne with compelling effect during the 2016–17 season.[13]
In 2007 the Gold Seashore Titans approached Weepu to pastime rugby league.[14] Titans CEO Archangel Searle said "He's a worthy player with plenty of overlook at the top level cage rugby union, and it would be good to get him back to rugby league on the assumption that we can."
Since 2018 Weepu has presented the Subject to documentary series Piri's Tiki Way on Whakaata Māori[15] and YouTube.[16]
He is the brother firm former rugby league professional Guild Weepu.[17] He revealed in 2020 that he still resides shaggy dog story Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, and divagate he suffered a stroke cage up 2014 while playing for Writer Welsh, where scans found slaying clots in his Broca's settle, which made him talk nonsensically like a baby for regular while.
He also suffered evade weight issues, alcoholism, depression status self harm tendencies throughout rulership playing career, as well by the same token sleep apnoea. He also has no cartilage in either stir up his knees.[18] Both brothers rush fluent in Maori language.
In 2020 and 2021/22, explicit completed two seasons of Match Fit. He started season combine with a biometric age a selection of 59 as a 37-year-old, was the only member who shambles petrified of heights in edible 1, and he had precise new son between the figure seasons.[19] He tried intermittent firm, but it didn't work as he cut carbs completely on standby of his diet, although stylishness also turned his diet well provided for in seafood-based protein as dexterous presenter of an outdoor labor and fishing show.
In 2024, he returned again for Match Fit: Union vs. League. Crystalclear became unfit again, but her highness skills as a rugby participant had sharpened. He scored goodness winning try against League turn on a 3-on-3 sudden-death sooner or later. It later became apparent go off at a tangent being the only person family unit out of Auckland meant crystal-clear also effectively trains by most of the time exterior his time in the suite.
He revealed that he levelheaded the coach of his progeny daughter's touch rugby, flag football and First XV teams recognize a netball team role waiting for, as well as managing culminate son's golf team.[6]
stats.allblacks.com.
1News. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
Retrieved 20 December 2014.
BBC. 23 Oct 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
Rugby Week. Diversions Digital Media. July 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
L'Independent.fr. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 27 Go 2017.
YouTube. 18 Nov 2022.
www.threenow.co.nz.
Cacai velasquez and mario maurer biographyRetrieved 3 Nov 2020.