Fuifui Moimoi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fuifui Moimoi

Personal information
Full name	Fuifui Moana Moimoi
Born	(1979-09-26) 26 September 1979 (age 45) Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	16 st 7 lb (105 kg)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position	Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2004–14 Parramatta Eels 201 22 0 0 88 2015–16 Leigh Centurions 45 11 1 0 46 2017–18 Toronto Wolfpack 20 12 0 0 48 2018–20 Workington Town 43 13 1 0 54 2021–22 Rochdale Hornets 34 13 0 0 52 Total 343 71 2 0 288 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2006–13 Tonga 9 0 0 0 0 2007–11 New Zealand 12 0 0 0 0
Rugby union
Position	Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2018 Bradford & Bingley RFC 5 1 0 0 5 2021 York RI RUFC 1 0 0 0 0 Total 6 1 0 0 5
As of 1 May 2022

Fuifui Moana Moimoi, born on September 26, 1979, is a famous rugby league player. He is known for playing as a 'prop,' which is a strong forward position in rugby.

He played for the Parramatta Eels in Australia's top league, the National Rugby League (NRL), from 2004 to 2014. He also played for teams in England, like Leigh Centurions, Toronto Wolfpack, Workington Town, and Rochdale Hornets. Fuifui Moimoi played for both the New Zealand and Tonga national teams. He played over 200 games for Parramatta and was a huge fan favorite. In 2018, he even played a bit of rugby union.

Early Life and Family

Fuifui Moimoi was born in Nuku'alofa, which is the capital city of Tonga.

His brother-in-law is NFL player Star Lotulelei.

Rugby League Career

Starting Out in the 2000s

Fuifui Moimoi started playing rugby league as a junior for teams like the Point Chevalier Pirates and Glenora Bears. A coach from the New Zealand Warriors team noticed him in 2002.

He then tried out for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2003. However, he soon left that club and joined the Parramatta Eels. Fuifui Moimoi later said he was frustrated because he wasn't getting much playing time. He wanted to play more, so he moved to Parramatta.

He played his first top-level game for Parramatta in 2004. This was against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

In the 2005 NRL season, Parramatta was a top team, and Fuifui Moimoi played in 8 games. The team finished first in the regular season. However, he missed the final games due to an injury.

Playing for His Country

In 2007, people started talking about which country Fuifui Moimoi could play for. He was born in Tonga and grew up in New Zealand. This meant he could play for Tonga, New Zealand, or even Australia. He had also played for American Samoa in 2000.

Moimoi playing for New Zealand in 2009.

Later in 2007, he was chosen to train with the Kiwis, which is New Zealand's national team. He made his debut for New Zealand in a game against Australia. He was also part of the team that toured in 2007.

For his club, Parramatta, he played 21 games in the 2007 NRL season. The team reached the semi-finals but lost to Melbourne.

He was considered for both the New Zealand and Tonga teams for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. Because he had recently played for New Zealand, he wasn't allowed to play for Tonga. He tried to change this in court, but it didn't work out.

Grand Final Hero

In the 2009 NRL season, Fuifui Moimoi was a key player for Parramatta. The team made it all the way to the Grand Final. In that big game, he scored an amazing try. He managed to get past five opposing players to score in the corner.

After the 2009 season, he was allowed to play for New Zealand again. He joined them for the 2009 Rugby League Four Nations tournament.

The 2010s and Beyond

In 2010, Fuifui Moimoi signed a new contract to stay with the Parramatta Eels until 2012. He was chosen for New Zealand's 2010 Four Nations team but had to pull out because of an injury.

He played for New Zealand again in the 2011 ANZAC Test and later traveled with the team for the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament in Europe.

In 2012, Fuifui Moimoi said he wanted to keep playing rugby league until at least 2016.

He then played for Tonga in 2013. This was in a game against their rivals, Samoa. He also played for Tonga in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He played in all three of Tonga's games during that tournament.

In 2014, after 11 years and 201 games, Fuifui Moimoi decided to leave the NRL. His club, Parramatta, told him they wouldn't keep him for the next season.

Moving to England

In late 2014, Fuifui Moimoi signed a one-year contract with an English club called Leigh Centurions. He had the option to stay for a second year, which he did.

In 2015, Fuifui Moimoi shared his feelings about leaving Parramatta. He felt sad that he didn't get to play a final farewell game at his home stadium. He had worked hard to stay in the team but was moved to a lower league. He turned down an offer from another team because he wanted to play his 200th game for Parramatta. He felt that he was still good enough to play in the top team.

He said, "It was the hardest thing I've ever been through in my career." He also mentioned that some teammates he thought were close friends didn't call him.

After Leigh was promoted to the Super League, Fuifui Moimoi joined a new team called Toronto Wolfpack in 2017. He played with some of his old teammates there. In early 2018, he left the Toronto Wolfpack.

Later in 2018, Fuifui Moimoi tried playing rugby union for a short time with Bradford & Bingley RFC. He then returned to rugby league, signing with Workington Town.

The 2020s

In 2021, Fuifui Moimoi joined the Rochdale Hornets. He was around 40 years old at the time. He played his first game for them in April 2021. In 2023, he signed a contract to play for an amateur team called Millom.

Images for kids

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  Fuifui Moimoi playing for Parramatta.