Piri Weepu facts for kids
Weepu post match for Oyonnax, August 2015
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Piri Awahou Tihou Weepu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 September 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lower Hutt, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 96 kg (212 lb; 15 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Te Aute College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Billy Weepu (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Piri Awahou Tihou Weepu (born 7 September 1983) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He mostly played as a half-back. Sometimes, he also played as a first five-eighth.
Piri Weepu played for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team, from 2004 to 2013. He also played for teams like the Hurricanes and Blues in Super Rugby. In New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup, he played for Wellington and Auckland. Later in his career, he played for several clubs in Europe. Piri Weepu officially retired from rugby in October 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Piri Weepu is of Māori and Niuean descent. His Māori family connections are with the Ngāi Tahu and Whakatōhea tribes. He grew up in Wainuiomata, New Zealand.
He went to Te Aute College and was the head boy there in 2001. After school, he played rugby for Hutt Old Boys Marist. He later joined the Wainuiomata RFC, which was his home club. His brother, Billy, played rugby league for the Wainuiomata Lions.
New Zealand Rugby Career
Playing for Clubs in New Zealand
Piri Weepu played for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition. During the 2006 Super 14 final, he was briefly knocked out. Because of thick fog, the team doctors did not see what happened. Weepu kept playing but later said he could not remember the game.
Playing for the All Blacks
Piri Weepu first played for the All Blacks in 2004 against Wales. He was not chosen for the 2007 Rugby World Cup team.
2011 Rugby World Cup Hero
During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Weepu played a very important role. The All Blacks faced a lot of pressure to win the Cup, as they had not won it since 1987. When star player Dan Carter got injured, Weepu stepped up.
In the quarter-final match against Argentina, Weepu took over the goal-kicking duties. He kicked seven penalties, helping New Zealand win. This performance earned him nicknames like "Mr Fixit" and "saviour." In the final against France, New Zealand won, securing the Cup.
Weepu was not selected for the All Blacks squad in June 2013. He was told to improve his speed and defense. He was later named in the squad for a tour to Argentina but played very little.
Leading the Haka
Piri Weepu was a key part of the All Blacks when they performed the haka before games. He led the haka in 51 of the 71 test matches he played. This is one of the highest numbers for any player since the "Kapa o Pango" haka was introduced in 2005.
He led the traditional Ka Mate haka 26 times. He also led the newer Kapa o Pango haka 25 times. Weepu was the third All Black to lead the "Kapa o Pango" haka in a game. This happened on 22 July 2006 against the Springboks.
.jpg)
European Rugby Career
Playing in England
In July 2014, Piri Weepu signed to play for London Welsh in England. He left the Auckland Blues at the end of the 2014 Super Rugby season.
In February 2015, Weepu left London Welsh early. He then joined another English team, Wasps, for a short time.
Playing in France
In February 2015, it was announced that Weepu would join the French team Oyonnax. He signed a two-year deal starting in the 2015–16 season. However, in January 2016, Oyonnax ended his contract early.
Later, in November 2016, Weepu signed with another French club, RC Narbonne, for the 2016–17 season.
Life After Rugby
Television Work
Since 2018, Piri Weepu has hosted a TV show called Piri's Tiki Tour. This documentary series is shown on Whakaata Māori and YouTube.
Personal Life and Health
Piri Weepu lives in Wainuiomata, New Zealand. In 2014, while playing for London Welsh, he suffered a stroke. He also has no cartilage in either of his knees. Both Piri and his brother Billy are fluent in the Māori language.
Match Fit Series
Piri Weepu has appeared in the TV series Match Fit. He completed two seasons in 2020 and 2021/22. In the first season, he was the only person afraid of heights. He also had a new son between the two seasons. He tried a special diet that focused on seafood.
In 2024, he returned for Match Fit: Union vs. League. He showed his rugby skills were still sharp. He scored the winning try in a sudden-death overtime game against League players. He also shared that he coaches his eldest daughter's touch rugby, flag rugby, and First XV teams. He also manages his son's golf team.
See also
In Spanish: Piri Weepu para niños
