Joe Rokocoko facts for kids
Rococoko in 2015
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| Full name | Josevata Taliga Rokocoko | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 6 June 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nadi, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (229 lb; 16 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | St. Kentigern College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Joeli Vidiri (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko (born on June 6, 1983) is a famous former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was known for playing as a wing, which is a fast-paced position in rugby.
Joe was born in Fiji but grew up in New Zealand. He played for big teams like the Blues and Auckland. Later, he moved to France to play for clubs like Bayonne and Racing 92.
He played 68 games for the New Zealand national team, also known as the All Blacks, between 2003 and 2010. He scored an amazing 46 tries for them! This makes him one of New Zealand's top try scorers ever.
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Joe's Early Life
Joe Rokocoko was born in Nadi, Fiji on June 6, 1983. When he was five years old, his family moved to New Zealand. They settled in a place called Weymouth in South Auckland.
He went to James Cook High School first. Later, he earned a special scholarship to attend Saint Kentigern College. At Saint Kentigern, he was part of the 2001 National Secondary Schools team. Joe also played for New Zealand's younger teams, like the under-16, under-19, and under-21 squads. After showing great talent in these teams, he started playing in the top-level Super 12 competition.
His Amazing Rugby Career
Joe Rokocoko began playing for the Blues team in the 2003 Super 12 season. He made his first appearance for the All Blacks on June 14, 2003, against England.
Joe was incredibly good at scoring tries for the All Blacks. He scored 25 tries in his first 20 games! In 2003, he broke a record by scoring 17 tries in just one season. This was the highest number of tries ever scored by an All Black player in a single season. Because of his amazing performance, the International Rugby Players' Association named him the "New Player of the Year" in 2003.
His incredible speed was a big part of his game. For example, in a game against England in 2004, Joe scored three tries. The All Blacks won that game 36–12 against the team that had just won the Rugby World Cup.
Joe continued to play for the All Blacks in the 2005 Tri Nations Series. He scored two tries in a key game against South Africa. By the end of 2006, he had scored 35 tries in 39 games. Overall, he scored 46 tries in 68 games for the All Blacks. He even scored three tries in a single game four times! These "hat-tricks" were against France (2003), Australia (2003), England (2004), and Romania (2007).
In 2011, after playing 68 games for New Zealand and 96 for the Blues, Joe decided to move to France. He signed with a team called Aviron Bayonnais in the Top 14 league. He played there for four seasons and even changed his playing position from wing to centre.
In 2015, Joe signed a new contract with another French team, Racing Metro 92 (now called Racing 92). He joined many other New Zealand players at this club in Paris. He played his first game for them on August 21, 2015, where Racing Metro won against Toulon. In the final of the 2015–16 Top 14 season, Joe scored a try, helping Racing defeat Toulon and win the championship.
Joe's Family Life
Even though many people know him as Joe, his full birth name is Josevata. He asked the New Zealand rugby team to use his Christian name, Josevata, on official team lists.
Joe has family members who also played rugby. His cousin, Joeli Vidiri, was also a famous winger for the Auckland Blues and the All Blacks. Another cousin, Iliesa Tanivula, played for the New Zealand sevens team. Joe also considers Sitiveni Sivivatu, another All Black winger, as a cousin because Sitiveni lived with Joe's family when they were younger.
In January 2008, Joe Rokocoko married Beverly Politini. They have a son named Cypress Rokocoko.
Awards and Achievements
Joe Rokocoko has won some great awards during his career:
- Racing 92
- Top 14: 2015–16 (This is a major French rugby championship)
See also
In Spanish: Joe Rokocoko para niños
