David Fifita (rugby league, born 2000) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | David Fifita Jnr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 February 2000 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (18 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Second-row | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 20 July 2025
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| Education | Keebra Park State High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Tesi Niu (cousin) Latu Fifita (cousin) Andrew Fifita (cousin) David Fifita (cousin) Solomon Haumono (uncle) |
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David Fifita, born on February 25, 2000, is a professional rugby league player. He plays as a second-rower for the Gold Coast Titans in Australia's top rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Before joining the Titans, he played for the Brisbane Broncos. David has also represented several important teams, including the Indigenous All Stars, Queensland, the Prime Minister's XIII, and the Tonga national rugby league team.
Early Life and School
David Fifita was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His family background is very interesting: his mother's family comes from the Torres Strait Islands (specifically the Badu group), and his father's family is from Tonga.
He went to Keebra Park State High School, which is known for its strong rugby league program. People often compared his playing style to a famous former player, Ben Te'o. A well-known rugby league commentator, Andrew Voss, even said that David was the best young schoolboy forward he had seen in over 20 years of watching the GIO Schoolboy Cup, a big competition for school teams.
David Fifita's Rugby League Journey
Starting Out in Junior Rugby
David began his rugby league journey playing for junior teams like Souths Acacia Ridge. Even when he was younger than most players, he showed great talent. In 2015, he was chosen as the "18th man" for the Queensland Under-16 team, meaning he was a reserve player ready to step in. He also played for the Queensland Under-15 Schoolboys team and was picked for the Australian Under-15 Schoolboys Merit team.
In 2016, he was again selected for the Queensland Under-16 team and was even the captain. He played a key role for his school, Keebra Park, in the GIO Schoolboy Cup Final, where they narrowly lost. The next year, in 2017, David played for the Queensland Under-18 Schoolboys team and was chosen for the Australian Under-18 Schoolboys team, which toured New Zealand. He also captained Keebra Park to victory in the GIO Schoolboy Cup Final that year.
Making His NRL Debut in 2018
On February 13, 2018, David signed a contract extension with the Brisbane Broncos until the end of the 2020 NRL season. He started the year playing in the Queensland Cup, a league below the NRL, for the Souths Logan Magpies.
In Round 16 of the 2018 NRL season, David made his first appearance in the NRL for the Brisbane Broncos. This was a big moment because he was the first player born in the 2000s to play in the NRL! He came off the interchange bench (meaning he started as a substitute) and played for 47 minutes in a thrilling 26-22 win. His coach, Wayne Bennett, was very impressed, saying David played without mistakes and did a great job. Later that season, in Round 23, David scored his first NRL try. He finished his first NRL year having played 11 matches and scoring 2 tries.
2019: Playing for Representative Teams
In 2019, David continued to impress. On February 15, he played for the Indigenous All Stars team against the New Zealand Māori All Stars. He came off the bench and scored a try in their 34–14 win.
After playing very well for his club, David was chosen for the Queensland Maroons squad for the 2019 State of Origin series. This was another historic moment, as he became the first player born in the 2000s to play in the State of Origin. The Queensland coach, Kevin Walters, joked about how young David was when he picked him.
Later in 2019, David was also named in the Australia Prime Minister's XIII team and the Under-23 Junior Australian side.
2020: Injury and a Big Move
In April 2020, David had knee surgery, which meant he couldn't play for a while. On July 25, it was announced that David had signed a huge three-year deal, worth over $3 million, to join the Gold Coast Titans.
David played nine games for the Brisbane Broncos in the 2020 NRL season. It was a tough year for the Broncos, as they finished last in the competition for the first time in their history, winning only three out of 20 matches.
2021: Joining the Gold Coast Titans
In his first year with the Gold Coast Titans, David quickly made an impact. In Round 5 of the 2021 NRL season, he scored three tries (a "hat-trick") in the Titans' 42-16 win against Newcastle. He scored another hat-trick in Round 7 against South Sydney.
In May, David was suspended for two matches because of a high tackle. He played for Queensland in the first two games of the 2021 State of Origin series but missed the third game due to his suspension.
2022: Dealing with Injuries
After a game in Round 8, David suffered a knee injury called a Grade 2 MCL sprain, which meant he missed four matches. He played a total of 18 games for the Gold Coast Titans in 2022, as the team finished 13th in the league.
2023: State of Origin Success and Re-signing
David played in all three games of the 2023 State of Origin series for Queensland, helping them win the shield (the trophy) by winning two games to one. On August 11, David signed a new contract to stay with the Gold Coast Titans until the end of the 2026 NRL season. He played 22 matches for the Titans in the 2023 NRL season and scored eight tries. The team finished 14th on the ladder.
2024: A Change of Mind
On May 9, 2024, it was announced that David would be leaving the Gold Coast Titans after the 2024 NRL season and joining the Sydney Roosters. However, just a few days later, on May 15, David changed his mind! He decided to use a special part of his contract to stay with the Gold Coast Titans until the end of 2026. This decision caused a lot of discussion, and the Sydney Roosters decided to withdraw their offer. David played 20 games for the Gold Coast in the 2024 NRL season, with the team finishing 14th.
2025: Current Season
Ahead of the Gold Coast's Round 9 match against Canterbury, David was not chosen to start the game by his coach, Des Hasler. This was reportedly due to a disagreement about where David should play on the field. On May 7, David was ruled out of playing indefinitely because of an ankle injury.
Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |  Brisbane Broncos |
11 | 2 | 8 |
| 2019 | 24 | 7 | 28 | |
| 2020 | 9 | 4 | 16 | |
| 2021 |  Gold Coast Titans |
22 | 17 | 68 |
| 2022 | 18 | 7 | 28 | |
| 2023 | 22 | 8 | 32 | |
| 2024 | 20 | 4 | 16 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 4 | |
| Totals | 132 | 50 | 200 |
