Quentin Pongia facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Quentin Lee Pongia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 July 1970 New Zealand |
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| Died | 18 May 2019 (aged 48) Greymouth, New Zealand |
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Playing information
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| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Quentin Lee Pongia (born July 9, 1970 – died May 18, 2019) was a famous rugby league player from New Zealand. He played for his country, New Zealand, in the 1990s and early 2000s.
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About Quentin Pongia's Family
Quentin came from a family of talented athletes. His grandfather, Jim Calder, was also a "Kiwi international" in rugby league. This means he played for the New Zealand national team, just like Quentin.
Quentin's sister, Megan Tahapeehi, played for the Kiwi Ferns. This is the women's national rugby league team for New Zealand. His older brother, Brendon, was a professional basketball player for New Zealand.
Quentin's Rugby League Journey
Quentin started his rugby league career on the West Coast of New Zealand. In 1988, he moved east to play for the Riccarton Knights Rugby League Football Club. He played for the Canterbury province in 1991 and 1992.
Playing for the Canberra Raiders
Quentin later joined the Canberra Raiders, a professional team in Australia. He also became a player for the New Zealand national team. In 1993, he went on a tour to Great Britain and France with the team. He played in all five important "test matches" during that tour.
World Cup and Other Teams
Quentin also played in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. After playing for the Raiders, he joined the Auckland Warriors in 1998. He was even named the NZRL player of the year in 1998, which is a big award!
He then moved to the Sydney Roosters, another team in Australia's National Rugby League. After that, he went to France to play.
Playing in France and England
In France, Quentin played for Villeneuve. He helped his team win two big awards: the Elite One Championship and the Lord Derby Cup.
In 2003, after the French season ended, Quentin returned to Australia. He played two games for the St. George Illawarra Dragons. He then finished his playing career in England with the Wigan Warriors. Quentin played as a "prop forward" for the Wigan Warriors in the 2003 Super League Grand Final. Sadly, his team lost that game to the Bradford Bulls.
Quentin had to stop playing rugby league because of a health problem.
After Playing Rugby League
After retiring from playing, Quentin stayed involved in rugby league.
Coaching Roles
In 2009, he became a "strength and conditioning coach" for the Canberra Raiders' Under-20s team. This means he helped the young players get stronger and fitter.
He was then promoted to be an assistant coach for the main Canberra Raiders team in 2010. During the 2009 Rugby League Four Nations tournament, Quentin also helped the New Zealand national rugby league team as an assistant trainer and mentor. He later left his assistant coach role with the Raiders in 2012.
Wellbeing Officer
In 2017, Quentin worked as a "wellbeing officer" for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. This job involves helping players with their overall health and happiness, both on and off the field.
Quentin's Passing
Sadly, Quentin Pongia passed away on May 18, 2019, in Greymouth, New Zealand. He was 48 years old.
