Lote Tuqiri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lote Tuqiri

Personal information
Full name	Lote Daulako Tuqiri
Born	(1979-09-23) 23 September 1979 (age 45) Korolevu, Fiji
Playing information
Height	191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
Rugby league
Position	Wing, Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1999–02 Brisbane Broncos 99 56 18 0 260 2010–13 Wests Tigers 52 27 0 0 108 2014 South Sydney 16 7 0 0 28 Total 167 90 18 0 396 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2000–14 Fiji 4 5 7 0 34 2001–02 Queensland 6 5 4 0 28 2001–10 Australia 9 5 0 0 20
Rugby union
Position	Wing, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2003–09 NSW Waratahs 89 29 1 0 148 2009–10 Leicester Tigers 16 3 0 0 15 2013 Leinster 2 0 0 0 0 Total 107 32 1 0 163 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2003–09 Australia 67 30 0 0 150

Lote Daulako Tuqiri (born 23 September 1979) is a famous former professional rugby player. He is known for playing both rugby league and rugby union at a very high level. Lote represented Australia in both sports. He also played for his home country, Fiji, in rugby league.

Lote first became well-known as a rugby league player for the Brisbane Broncos. He also played for the Queensland Maroons and the Australian national team. In 2002, he made a big move to rugby union. He played 67 games for the Australian national team (the Wallabies). He was part of their teams for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and 2007 Rugby World Cup.

After playing rugby union for the Waratahs and Leicester Tigers, Lote returned to rugby league in 2010. He joined the Wests Tigers in Australia's NRL. In 2013, he briefly played rugby union again for Leinster in Ireland. Then, in 2014, he signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs for his final NRL season.

Early Life and Rugby Start

Lote Tuqiri was born on September 23, 1979, in Korolevu, Fiji. His parents are Titilia and Tukula. He grew up in a place called Namatakula with his older siblings, Mela and Tevita, and younger sister Sereana.

When Lote was four years old, his family moved to Australia. They settled in Sunnybank, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane. This is where he started playing competitive sports. He played rugby league for the Souths Sunnybank Rugby League club while attending Sunnybank State High School.

Lote Tuqiri's Amazing Rugby Career

Before becoming a professional, Lote also played for the Past Brothers team in the Queensland Cup while he was with the Brisbane Broncos.

Rugby League Star: Brisbane Broncos Years

Lote Tuqiri quickly made a name for himself in rugby league. In 1999, he won the "rookie of the year" award for the Brisbane Broncos. By 2000, he was a regular player in the team.

Winning with the Broncos

At the end of the 2000 NRL season, Lote played on the wing for the Broncos. He scored a try in their big win against the Sydney Roosters in the 2000 NRL Grand Final. This made the Broncos champions!

After this, Lote became captain of the Fiji national team. He led them in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup in England. Fiji didn't get past the group stage, but Lote was their top try and goal scorer.

In 2001, the Broncos played against the English champions, St Helens, in the 2001 World Club Challenge. Lote played on the wing, but Brisbane lost that game.

Playing for Queensland and Australia

Lote was chosen to play for Queensland in the 2001 State of Origin series. He played in all three games and scored Queensland's first try. Queensland won the series, and Lote played very well.

During that year, he also played for Australia (the Kangaroos). He scored a try in Australia's 28–10 win against New Zealand. Lote was also the Broncos' top try-scorer in 2001 with 21 tries. This was the second-highest number of tries ever scored by a Brisbane player in one season.

Lote's 2002 season was also very impressive. He showed off his great strength and speed. In one game, he set a new club record for the most points scored by a player in a single match. He was again the Broncos' top try-scorer. He also played for Queensland and Australia again. In the 2002 State of Origin series, Lote scored in all three games, getting a total of 28 points. He even scored three tries in one game, which is called a hat-trick. At the 2002 Dally M Awards, he was named "winger of the year."

Lote played 99 games for Brisbane between 1999 and 2002. He scored a total of 260 points. His last game for the Broncos was a close loss to the Sydney Roosters.

Switching to Rugby Union

Lote's amazing skills caught the eye of the Australian Rugby Union. At the end of 2002, he announced he would switch to rugby union in 2003. He signed a contract to play for the New South Wales Waratahs.

Lote's move to rugby union was very successful. His speed and strength helped him get picked for the Wallabies, Australia's national rugby union team. He made his international debut in June 2003 against Ireland. This made him Australia's 43rd player to play both rugby codes internationally.

Rugby World Cup Highlights

Lote was one of four former Queensland rugby league players to play in the top teams at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He scored tries against Romania and Namibia during the early games. He also scored the Wallabies' only try in the final against England. He was one of Australia's top try scorers in the tournament.

In 2004, Lote toured the United Kingdom and France with the Wallabies. In 2006, he played for Australia in the Rugby Sevens event at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. That year, his Waratahs team reached the semi-finals of the Super 14 competition.

Tuqiri playing for the Waratahs in 2007

There was a lot of talk about whether Lote would stay in rugby union or go back to rugby league. He decided to stay in rugby union for another five years. However, on July 1, 2009, his contract with the Australian Rugby Union ended. Lote then decided to return to rugby league.

He later played for the Leicester Tigers in England. He made his debut for them against the Springboks in November 2009, and his team won.

Return to Rugby League

In February 2010, Lote Tuqiri officially announced he was returning to rugby league after seven years. He signed a three-year deal with the NRL club Wests Tigers. He came back to Australia early to play his first game for the Tigers against Manly. In his first game back, he scored a try with his very first touch of the ball! He scored at least one try in each of his first three games. His good form helped the Tigers get very close to the 2010 Grand Final.

In October 2010, Lote was chosen for the Australian squad for the 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament. He played in all four games, including the final, and scored a try. He was the first player to switch codes and then play test rugby league for Australia a second time.

The Wests Tigers made the semi-finals again in 2011. However, Lote faced some injuries, including a broken arm and ankle issues. Injuries also affected his 2012 season. He broke his upper arm in July, which ended his season.

Before the 2013 season, Lote had another setback when his broken arm hadn't healed properly. He had surgery to fix it. He eventually returned to play four games for the Wests Tigers in his final season with them.

In September 2013, he signed a short-term contract to play rugby union again for the Irish team, Leinster.

Tuqiri playing for North Sydney Bears in 2014

In January 2014, Lote signed with his third NRL club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, for one year. Many thought his rugby league career was over after his injuries with the Wests Tigers.

In May 2014, Lote played for Fiji in the 2014 Pacific Rugby League International. He kicked two goals and scored a try, but Fiji lost the match. Lote turned 35 during the 2014 season, making him the oldest player in the NRL at that time.

On October 5, 2014, Lote was part of the South Sydney team that beat the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30–6 in the 2014 NRL Grand Final. This was Lote's second NRL championship, as he had also won one with the Brisbane Broncos earlier in his career.

Family Connections

Lote Tuqiri has a cousin who is also named Lote Tuqiri. His cousin is a Fijian-born Japanese Rugby Sevens player.

See also

In Spanish: Lote Tuqiri para niños

• List of players who have converted from one football code to another