Isaia Toeava

Isaia "Ice" Toeava (born 15 January 1986 in Moto'otua, Samoa), is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand.

Isaia Toeava
Toeava during a New Zealand training session, November 2010
Date of birth (1986-01-15) 15 January 1986
Place of birthMoto'otua, Samoa
Height181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight100 kg (220 lb; 15 st 10 lb)
SchoolDe La Salle College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback, Centre, First five-eighth
Current team Toulon
All Black No. 1064
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005–2011 Auckland 31 (37)
2006 Hurricanes 14 (15)
2007–2012 Blues 61 (96)
2012–2014 Canon Eagles 18 (20)
2014–2016 Kubota Spears 19 (45)
2016–2020 Clermont 65 (55)
2020– Toulon 0 (0)
Correct as of 5 June 2020
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005–2011 New Zealand 37 (40)
2011 Barbarian F.C. 1 (0)
Correct as of 5 June 2020
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
2005 New Zealand 3
Correct as of 5 June 2020

Early career

Toeava was born in Samoa but moved to New Zealand in 1994 to live with his grandmother.[1][2] He attended De La Salle College, Mangere East, he played alongside Taniela Moa in the school's First XV rugby team. He represented New Zealand U-19 where he was named the IRB's Under-19 2005 player of the year. He played at second-five for New Zealand Under 19. Other early career highlights include playing second five for the Championship-winning Auckland Marist Under 21 side, coached by Peter Tubberty.

Career

Toeava played for the All Blacks and represented New Zealand in Sevens rugby.

In 2005 Toeava was a shock selection for the All Blacks Grand Slam tour at only 19 years of age. He had had no Super 14 experience, and limited Provincial experience with just eight games for Auckland, and only a solitary start at first-five against Northland.

He played his first-class rugby mainly at centre, wing and fullback. He played his provincial rugby for Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup and was drafted to the Hurricanes in the 2006 Super 14 season. He played for the Blues for the 2007 season.

He was instrumental in the success of the Blues in the 2007 Super 14 season, scoring four tries and setting up many others from the outside centre position. He was later nominated for Rebel Sport Super 14 Player of the Year at the 2007 Steinlager Rugby Awards. He was one of several players to be played at centre for the All Blacks in 2010 and 2011, a position which has seen numerous changes because of Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith's injuries.

Toeava played the final two games of the 2011 Tri-Nations tournament. At the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Toeava played in pool matches against Tonga (at left wing), Japan (at fullback) and Canada (coming of the bench in the second half).

In July 2012, Toeava signed a two-year contract with the Tokyo-based Canon Eagles.[3]

In March 2016 Toeava joined Clermont as a medical joker to cover an injury crisis and has held his place at the powerful club. His form helped guide Clermont to the French Top 14 championship and to the lead in their pool of the Champions Cup in January 2017, before an arm injury that required surgery sidelined him for the rest of the season.[4]

On 16 June 2020, Toeava signs for Top 14 rivals Toulon ahead of the 2020-21 season.[5]

NZRU Annual Awards
  • NZRU Age-Grade Player of the Year, 2005

New Zealand Representative Teams
  • New Zealand Secondary Schools in 2003
  • New Zealand Sevens rugby in 2005
  • New Zealand Under 19 in 2005
  • All Blacks in 2005–07, 2010

Career Notes
  • Played every match in his first Super 14 season for the Hurricanes.
  • Scored two tries against Northland in his only start of the season for Auckland in the 2005 Air New Zealand NPC.
  • Received the 2005 IRB Under 19 Player of the Year award announced in November 2005 in Paris.
  • Scored 62 points in four matches for New Zealand Under 19 at the IRB Under 19 World Championships in South Africa in 2005, including five tries and 37 points from the boot.
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References
  1. "Toeava 'a breath of fresh air'".
  2. "Bench player in league of his own".
  3. "Toeava signs with Japanese side Canon Eagles" (Press release). Blues. 6 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  4. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/88517849/arm-surgery-ends-french-title-hopes-for-all-black-isaia-toeava
  5. "Veteran ex-All Black Isaia Toeava signs for Toulon". Stuff.co.nz. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
Awards
Preceded by
Jeremy Thrush		 IRB International U19 Player of the Year
2005		 Succeeded by
Josh Holmes
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