Sonny Fai
Encyclopedia
Sonny Fai was a professional rugby league
player who played for the New Zealand Warriors
.
, before being promoted to the Counties Manukau Jetz in the Bartercard Cup
. A Warriors development player since 2003, he later played for the Auckland Lions
in the 2007 NSWRL Premier League
and the Junior Warriors in the 2008 Toyota Cup. Fai made ten appearances in the Toyota Cup, scoring five tries.
debut on 23 March 2008 against the Parramatta Eels at Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. Fai was named the Warriors
2007 Under-20 Player of the Year. A powerful back rower who impressed for the Auckland Lions
when he debuted in the NSWRL Premier League
in 2007, scoring 14 tries in 21 games. He was named in the New Zealand and Samoan training squads
for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
.
in 2004 and New Zealand 'A' in 2007.
while trying to save his brother and four cousins when they got into difficulty at Te Henga (Bethells Beach)
, Auckland
. Despite extensive searches his body was never found, and on 13 August 2009 Chief coroner Neil McLean announced in the Auckland District Court that he drowned.
The Warriors dedicated their Round Five home match to Fai's memory. The match was played on the 5 April 2009 and the Warriors were defeated by the South Sydney Rabbitohs
, 22-16.
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...
player who played for the New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
.
Early years
Fai played only one senior game for his junior club, the Mangere East HawksMangere East Hawks
The Mangere East Hawks are a rugby league based in Mangere, New Zealand. The Hawks compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-History:The club was founded in 1964, before this teams from the area had been attached to the Otahuhu club...
, before being promoted to the Counties Manukau Jetz in the Bartercard Cup
Bartercard Cup
The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...
. A Warriors development player since 2003, he later played for the Auckland Lions
Auckland Lions
The Auckland Lions were a rugby league club that had teams in both the New Zealand Bartercard Cup and the NSWRL Premier League. They were mostly based around the Mt Albert Lions Rugby League club...
in the 2007 NSWRL Premier League
NSWRL Premier League
The New South Wales Cup is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales previously known as the NSWRL Premier League. It has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition. It is now the premier open age competition in the state...
and the Junior Warriors in the 2008 Toyota Cup. Fai made ten appearances in the Toyota Cup, scoring five tries.
Playing career
Fai made his NRLNational 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...
debut on 23 March 2008 against the Parramatta Eels at Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. Fai was named the Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
2007 Under-20 Player of the Year. A powerful back rower who impressed for the Auckland Lions
Auckland Lions
The Auckland Lions were a rugby league club that had teams in both the New Zealand Bartercard Cup and the NSWRL Premier League. They were mostly based around the Mt Albert Lions Rugby League club...
when he debuted in the NSWRL Premier League
NSWRL Premier League
The New South Wales Cup is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales previously known as the NSWRL Premier League. It has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve grade competition. It is now the premier open age competition in the state...
in 2007, scoring 14 tries in 21 games. He was named in the New Zealand and Samoan training squads
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...
for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
.
Representative career
Fai made representative teams from a young age, first making the New Zealand under-16s in 2003. Fai made 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...
in 2004 and New Zealand 'A' in 2007.
Disappearance
Fai went missing at around 7 pm on 4 January 2009, after being caught in a rip currentRip current
A rip current, commonly referred to by the misnomer rip tide, is a strong channel of water flowing seaward from near the shore, typically through the surf line. Typical flow is at 0.5 metres per second , and can be as fast as 2.5 metres per second...
while trying to save his brother and four cousins when they got into difficulty at Te Henga (Bethells Beach)
Te Henga (Bethells Beach)
Te Henga is a coastal community located in the north of the North Island, New Zealand. The Māori name Te Henga, meaning sand, originally applied to a wide area of the lower Waitakere River valley, but in 1976 the New Zealand Geographic Board changed the name of the beach from Bethells Beach to Te...
, Auckland
Auckland
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...
. Despite extensive searches his body was never found, and on 13 August 2009 Chief coroner Neil McLean announced in the Auckland District Court that he drowned.
Legacy
The New Zealand Warriors, in honour of Fai, kept his name on the playing roster for the 2009 season; in accordance with their team motto "Keeping the Faith". The Warriors wore black armbands for their opening NRL match of the 2009 season, as well as jerseys embroidered with Fai's signature and official team number in honour of him.The Warriors dedicated their Round Five home match to Fai's memory. The match was played on the 5 April 2009 and the Warriors were defeated by the South Sydney Rabbitohs
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...
, 22-16.