Joe Vagana
Encyclopedia
Joe Vagana is a former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. During his career Vagana played for the Auckland Warriors and the Bradford Bulls
and also represented both Samoa
and New Zealand in international competition. His position of preference was at Prop forward.
Joe is also the cousin of fellow rugby league international Nigel Vagana
and the New Zealand netball
er Linda Vagana
.
, Vagana played rugby league for the Richmond Rovers
club in the Auckland Rugby League
competition. In 1993 he played 9 games for Auckland
. He then played for the successful North Harbour Sea Eagles
in the 1994 Lion Red Cup
.
. He made his début for the club on 18 March 1995 in the Warriors second ever premiership match. He went on to play 116 games for the Warriors, leaving the club when Eric Watson bought the franchise, but not the player contracts, in 2000.
and Australian
clubs, Vagana signed for the Bradford Bulls
in 2001. He became one part of the Bulls Awesome Foursome a phrase coined by the media, alongside Stuart Fielden
, Brian McDermott
and Paul Anderson
.
A destructive tackler and strong runner with the ability to off load the ball, Vagana rarely missed a game for the Bulls and became one of the most popular players at the club. He also wrote a weekly column for several Bradford
newspapers and the Bulls website.
In 2006 Vagana was awarded the Bulls Clubman of the Year Award. He signed a one-year extension on the 18 August 2006 to keep him at the Bulls for the 2007 season.
In June 2007 Vagana signed another one-year contract with Bradford, signalling his intent to play out the 2008 season.
Vagana was sent off for the first time in his Bulls career against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
on 5 August 2007.
In August 2007 he was named in Bradford's team of the Century.
In 2008 whilst playing for Bradford against Wigan
Vagana broke his arm attempting to tackle Stuart Fielden.
Vagana retired at the end of the 2008 season after 8 years with the Bulls.
In 2009 he started coaching the East Coast Bays Barracudas
alongside Willie Swann
.
for three seasons, between 1992 and 1994.
In 1995 Joe represented Western Samoa
in the World Cup
Vagana also played 25 times for the New Zealand Kiwis, including playing in the 2000 World Cup
. After a long absence he was called up by New Zealand
for their game against Great Britain in 2006 but did not play in the match.
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 of the 1990s and 2000s. During his career Vagana played for the Auckland Warriors and the Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
and also represented both Samoa
Samoa national rugby league team
-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
and New Zealand in international competition. His position of preference was at Prop forward.
Joe is also the cousin of fellow rugby league international Nigel Vagana
Nigel Vagana
Nigel Vagana is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand and Samoa international representative centre, he retired as the Kiwis' all-time top try-scorer with 19...
and the New Zealand netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
er Linda Vagana
Linda Vagana
Linda Vagana, MNZM is an international netball coach and former representative player from New Zealand. Vagana played as a circle defender, and was a member of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, from 1993 up until 2002, earning 61 caps...
.
Early years
Whilst a student at St Pauls CollegeSt. Paul's College, Auckland
St Paul's College is a college for year 7 to 13 boys and offers a Catholic education to its students. It is located in the central Auckland suburb of Ponsonby. The school originates from 1903 when the Marist Brothers opened Sacred Heart College, Auckland on the site...
, Vagana played rugby league for the Richmond Rovers
Richmond Rovers
The Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club is a rugby league club based in Grey Lynn, New Zealand. The premier team is called the Richmond Bulldogs and compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-Bartercard Cup:...
club in the Auckland Rugby League
Auckland Rugby League
The Auckland Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region and was the owner of Carlaw Park, once the "spiritual home of rugby league in New Zealand".-History:The Auckland Rugby League was...
competition. In 1993 he played 9 games for Auckland
Auckland rugby league team
The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...
. He then played for the successful North Harbour Sea Eagles
North Harbour Sea Eagles
The North Harbour Sea Eagles were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented North Harbour in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. For the first two seasons they were coached by Graeme Norton....
in the 1994 Lion Red Cup
Lion Red Cup
The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...
.
Auckland Warriors
In 1995 Vagana was signed by the Auckland Warriors as they prepared for their début season in the Australian Rugby LeagueAustralian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
. He made his début for the club on 18 March 1995 in the Warriors second ever premiership match. He went on to play 116 games for the Warriors, leaving the club when Eric Watson bought the franchise, but not the player contracts, in 2000.
Bradford Bulls
Despite competition from other Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
and Australian
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...
clubs, Vagana signed for the Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
in 2001. He became one part of the Bulls Awesome Foursome a phrase coined by the media, alongside Stuart Fielden
Stuart Fielden
Stuart Fielden is an English professional rugby league footballer for Wigan of Super League...
, Brian McDermott
Brian McDermott
Brian G. McDermott is an English professional rugby league football coach and former player. He started as Head Coach of Harlequins RL of Super League on 8 July 2006 and departs on 4 September 2010.-Biography:...
and Paul Anderson
Paul Anderson (Rugby Player)
Paul 'Baloo' Anderson is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. He was caretaker head coach for the Huddersfield Giants for the end of Super League III. Anderson began his playing career in 1991 playing as a prop for Leeds. He spend the majority of his career at the Bradford Bulls,...
.
A destructive tackler and strong runner with the ability to off load the ball, Vagana rarely missed a game for the Bulls and became one of the most popular players at the club. He also wrote a weekly column for several Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
newspapers and the Bulls website.
In 2006 Vagana was awarded the Bulls Clubman of the Year Award. He signed a one-year extension on the 18 August 2006 to keep him at the Bulls for the 2007 season.
In June 2007 Vagana signed another one-year contract with Bradford, signalling his intent to play out the 2008 season.
Vagana was sent off for the first time in his Bulls career against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
on 5 August 2007.
In August 2007 he was named in Bradford's team of the Century.
In 2008 whilst playing for Bradford against Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
Vagana broke his arm attempting to tackle Stuart Fielden.
Vagana retired at the end of the 2008 season after 8 years with the Bulls.
In 2009 he started coaching the East Coast Bays Barracudas
East Coast Bays Barracudas
The East Coast Bays Barracudas is an rugby league club based in Browns Bay, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Fox Memorial, the premier division in Auckland Rugby League.-Notable players:...
alongside Willie Swann
Willie Swann
Willie Swann is a former Samoa, Warrington Wolves and Auckland Warriors rugby league player.-Playing career:Swann was a Marist Saints junior who played fifteen matches for the Waitakere City Raiders in the 1994 Lion Red Cup, scoring 29 points. He was a Junior Kiwi in 1993...
.
Representative career
Vagana played for the Junior KiwisJunior 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...
for three seasons, between 1992 and 1994.
In 1995 Joe represented Western Samoa
Samoa national rugby league team
-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
in the World Cup
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
Vagana also played 25 times for the New Zealand Kiwis, including playing in the 2000 World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
. After a long absence he was called up by New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
for their game against Great Britain in 2006 but did not play in the match.