Name Taioalo Vaivai Career start 2009 Weight 100 kg | Height 1.78 m Role Rugby Player | |
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Taioalo "Junior" Vaivai (born 18 January 1990) is a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer who previously played professionally with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. Currently playing for the Western Suburbs Red Devils in the Illawarra Rugby League, Vaivai has represented the United States national team through his American Samoan heritage.
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Playing career
Vaivai played his junior rugby league for the Goodna Eagles and the Easts Tigers in Brisbane, Australia. In 2009 and 2010, he played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Youth Competition, scoring 39 tries and kicking 33 goals in 42 matches. Covering for an injury to Beau Champion, Vaivai made his NRL debut in round 24 of the 2009 season against the Penrith Panthers. Vaivai was named at centre in the 2009 NYC team of the year.
On 5 May 2011, Vaivai was stood down from the Rabbitohs after he was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. Vaivai joined the Penrith Panthers for the remainder of the 2011 season, making his club debut as a late call-up to cover for an injury to Luke Lewis.
In 2013, Vaivai joined the Illawarra Cutters in the New South Wales Cup.
Representative career
Qualifying through his American Samoan mother and grandmother, Vaivai made his debut for the United States national team in their 2016 America's Cup match against Jamaica. On 24 September 2017, Vaivai was named the United States' 23-man squad for the 2017 World Cup.
Personal life
Vaivai currently works as a personal trainer at Aventus Health and Fitness in Warrawong, Australia. He is the cousin of American wrestler and actor Dwayne Johnson.