Mark Taufua

Mark Taufua

Personal information
Full name	Mark Larry Taufua
Nickname	Fu, Taff
Born	24 October 1981 (1981-10-24) (age 30)
Height	188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	106 kg (16 st 10 lb)
Playing information
Position	Prop, Lock, Second-row
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2007–11	Newcastle Knights	67	5	0	0	20
2012–	Cronulla-Sutherland	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	67	5	0	0	20
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2009–10	Samoa	2	0	0	0	0
As of 8 April 2010
Source: RLP

Mark Larry Taufua is an Australian professional rugby league player. He is of Samoan descent, and currently plays for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights. He primarily plays at prop or at lock but he is also a proven second-rower. His younger brother Larry Jnr, played for the Newcastle Knights in the Jersey Flegg Cup in 2006 and 2007.

Playing career

After playing junior rugby league in Maitland for the Woodberry Warriors, Taufua switched to rugby union, playing for The Waratahs in the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union competition. He was a Newcastle and NSW Country rugby union representative when in 2006 Brian Smith, the Knights coach at that time discovered him. After debuting in the NRL midway through 2007, at 25, Taufua continued to improve. In 2008, a Newcastle Herald article nicknamed him "The Samoan stealth bomber" after "teeth-rattling tackles and bone-jarring charges" against the Melbourne Storm, and in 2009, played in every game for Newcastle except their first-round loss to the Gold Coast Titans. He has only missed a few games in 2010 due to injury.

On the 7th of June 2011, Taufua signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks for 2 years, starting in 2012.^[1]

Representative career

In 2009 he was named as part of the Samoan side for the Pacific Cup.^[2]

Personal life

Mark Taufua is the second eldest son of Feiloivao Lilomaiava Taulave (Lave/Larry) Taufua, who is a Paramount Chief of Faleatiu, A'ana, Samoa. Taufua's father was also a Heavy Weight boxer in New Zealand during the late 70s, where his alias was "Prince Tattoo" (due to his traditional Samoan tattoo known as Tatau or Pe'a. His mother Lulu Sapaea Faofua (Taufua) of Laulii died in 1996 due to cancer.

References

1. ^ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/newcastles-mark-taufua-signs-with-cronulla/story-e6frfgbo-1226070529735
2. ^ Poching names strong Samoan squad therhinos.co.uk, 6 October 2009

External links

• 2011 Newcastle Knights profile
• Rugby League Project stats
• Daily Telegraph profile

Persondata
Name	Taufua, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 October 1981
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death