Jason Taumalolo
Encyclopedia
Jason Taumalolo is a New Zealand professional rugby league
footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys
of the National Rugby League
competition.
and growing up in Mangere
and attended De La Salle College, Mangere east, he started playing rugby league at the age of 4 for Papakura
. Taumalolo moved to Townsville at the age of 13. He attended Kirwan State High School
and played his junior footy for the Kirwan Bears and Townsville Brothers. He earned a scholarship with the Cowboys and would go on to represent the Queensland under 18's and Australian schoolboys at the age of 16. Despite being one of the youngest players in the Toyota Cup
, Taumalolo is one of the competition's star players, playing over 40 games for the Cowboys under 20's team.
Taumalolo was the youngest player ever to make his debut for the Cowboys, aged 17 years, 2 months and 21 days, when he came off the bench against the Bulldogs
in 2010. He would make his second NRL appearance for North Queensland almost a year later when he came off the bench in a loss to South Sydney
in round 24. He later starred for the Cowboys in round 25 against Cronulla
, coming off the bench for the 3rd time to score 2 crucial tries and making 2 line breaks and 125 metres.
Taumalolo played for the Junior Kiwis
in 2010. They lost to Australia 16-24 but won the second match 32-20 after trailing 0-20 at halftime. He was again selected for the Junior Kiwis in 2011.
In 2011, he was awarded the Rugby League Player's Association's Toyota Cup
Player of the Year award and was named in the Toyota Cup
Team of the Year in the second row.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition.
Biography
Born in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and growing up in Mangere
Mangere
Māngere is one of the larger suburbs in South Auckland, in northern New Zealand.The suburb is located on flat land at the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of the centre of Manukau city and 15 kilometres south of Auckland city centre...
and attended De La Salle College, Mangere east, he started playing rugby league at the age of 4 for Papakura
Papakura
The Papakura District was the name of a local council territory in New Zealand's Auckland Region that existed from 1989 until 2010. The area made up the southernmost part of the Auckland metropolitan area....
. Taumalolo moved to Townsville at the age of 13. He attended Kirwan State High School
Kirwan State High School
Kirwan State High School is a coeducational state school located in Kirwan, Queensland, Australia, approximately from the Townsville CBD. It has 2,304 students and over 120 teaching staff, making it the biggest high school in the state and the largest in North Queensland and The former Thuringowa...
and played his junior footy for the Kirwan Bears and Townsville Brothers. He earned a scholarship with the Cowboys and would go on to represent the Queensland under 18's and Australian schoolboys at the age of 16. Despite being one of the youngest players in the Toyota Cup
Toyota Cup
Toyota Cup may refer to:* Copa Toyota Libertadores was the name of Copa Libertadores from 1997-2007 for sponsorship reasons.* Intercontinental Cup , known as Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL....
, Taumalolo is one of the competition's star players, playing over 40 games for the Cowboys under 20's team.
Taumalolo was the youngest player ever to make his debut for the Cowboys, aged 17 years, 2 months and 21 days, when he came off the bench against the Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
in 2010. He would make his second NRL appearance for North Queensland almost a year later when he came off the bench in a loss to South Sydney
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
in round 24. He later starred for the Cowboys in round 25 against Cronulla
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
, coming off the bench for the 3rd time to score 2 crucial tries and making 2 line breaks and 125 metres.
Taumalolo played for the Junior Kiwis
Junior Kiwis
The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. They are not necessarily an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby league team. They are...
in 2010. They lost to Australia 16-24 but won the second match 32-20 after trailing 0-20 at halftime. He was again selected for the Junior Kiwis in 2011.
In 2011, he was awarded the Rugby League Player's Association's Toyota Cup
Toyota Cup
Toyota Cup may refer to:* Copa Toyota Libertadores was the name of Copa Libertadores from 1997-2007 for sponsorship reasons.* Intercontinental Cup , known as Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL....
Player of the Year award and was named in the Toyota Cup
Toyota Cup
Toyota Cup may refer to:* Copa Toyota Libertadores was the name of Copa Libertadores from 1997-2007 for sponsorship reasons.* Intercontinental Cup , known as Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL....
Team of the Year in the second row.