Taulupe Faletau Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Taulupe Faletau

Faletau in 2012

Birth name

Tangaki Taulupe Faletau

Date of birth

12 November 1990 (age 34)

Place of birth

Tofoa, Tonga

Height

1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)

Weight

110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb)

School

Pontygof Primary School, Ebbw Vale
Trevethin Community School
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Notable relative(s)

Billy Vunipola (cousin)
Mako Vunipola (cousin)

Rugby union career

Senior career
Position(s)	Number 8
Current team	Cardiff
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2009–2016	Newport Gwent Dragons	110	(50)
2009–2010	→ Cross Keys (loan)	11	(10)
2009	→ Newport RFC (loan)	2	(0)
2016–2022	Bath	71	(50)
2022–	Cardiff	14	(5)
Correct as of 7 November 2023
National team(s)
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
2010	Wales U20	3	(0)
2011–	Wales	104	(65)
2013–2021	British & Irish Lions	4	(5)
Correct as of 18 December 2023

Taulupe Faletau (born 12 November 1990) is a famous Welsh professional rugby union player. Many people know him as Toby Faletau. He plays for Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship. He has also played for the Wales national team for more than 10 years.

Taulupe is a back row forward. This means he plays in the back of the scrum. Before joining Cardiff, he played for several other teams. These included Cross Keys RFC, Newport RFC, and Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales. He also played for Bath in England from 2016 to 2022.

Early Life and Nickname
Starting His Rugby Journey
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Wales and the Lions
See also

Early Life and Nickname

Taulupe Faletau was born in Tofoa, Tonga. His father, Kuli Faletau, was also a rugby player. Kuli played for the Tonga national team. He even played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

In 1997, Taulupe's family moved to Wales. He went to primary school there. Later, he attended Trevethin Community School. He also studied at Filton College, which is now part of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. He was a top player in the college's rugby team.

When Taulupe was a young boy, his school friends found his Tongan name hard to say. So, they started calling him "Toby." Even though he is now a professional player, he doesn't mind being called Toby. However, he prefers his official rugby name to be Taulupe.

Starting His Rugby Journey

Taulupe played rugby from a young age in Wales. He played for junior teams like Ebbw Vale RFC and New Panteg RFC. His cousins, Mako and Billy Vunipola, also played with him.

Later, he moved to Filton College in Bristol, England. This gave him a chance to experience playing rugby in England. He made his first appearance for the Newport Gwent Dragons senior team on 1 November 2009. This was against the Edinburgh team.

In December 2009, Taulupe was chosen for the Wales under-20 Squad. He played in the 2010 Under-20 Six Nations tournament. He also played in the Junior World Cup in Argentina in June 2010.

Club Career Highlights

Taulupe Faletau played a big part in the Newport Gwent Dragons' success. They reached the semi-finals of the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup. He played in seven of their eight games in that competition.

In December 2015, it was announced that Taulupe would join the English team Bath Rugby. He started playing for them in the 2016–17 season. He played for Bath until 2022.

On 5 November 2021, it was confirmed that Taulupe would return to Wales. He joined Cardiff for the 2022-23 season. He now plays for them in the United Rugby Championship.

Playing for Wales and the Lions

Taulupe was first called up to the senior Wales team in November 2010. In January 2011, he was part of the Wales squad for the 2011 Six Nations Championship. He played his first full international game for Wales on 4 June 2011. This match was against the Barbarians.

Rugby World Cup Debuts

In August 2011, Taulupe was chosen for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. He played his first World Cup game on 11 September 2011 against South Africa. He scored his first international try in that game. He scored another try against Namibia.

Taulupe was amazing in this tournament. He made the most tackles and carried the ball the most. He was the first player ever to lead in both areas. He also started all seven of Wales' games.

Six Nations Success

He played in all five matches when Wales won the 2012 Six Nations Championship Grand Slam. A Grand Slam means winning every game in the tournament. He was one of the best players in the championship.

Taulupe also played in all five games when Wales won the 2013 Six Nations Championship. This included a huge 30–3 win against England in the final match. He continued to play in the 2014 Six Nations Championship, scoring a try against Scotland.

In the 2015 Six Nations Championship, Taulupe played every minute. Wales beat Ireland 23–16 in a tough game. Wales made 250 tackles to stop Ireland from winning a Grand Slam.

British & Irish Lions Tours

In April 2013, Taulupe was picked for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. The British & Irish Lions is a special team made up of the best players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. He played a key role in the final test match. The Lions won the series, which was their first win since 1997.

Taulupe and his cousins, Mako and Billy Vunipola, were chosen for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. Sadly, Billy had to pull out due to injury. Taulupe played very well on this tour. He was named "Man of the Match" in the first game.

He started in all three test matches against the All Blacks. On 1 July 2017, Taulupe scored the first try in the second test. This helped the Lions make a comeback and win 24–21. It was a historic win against the All Blacks. Taulupe played every minute of the entire Lions tour.

Becoming Captain

On 11 March 2018, Taulupe was made captain of the Welsh team for the first time. This was during a match against Italy in the 2018 Six Nations Championship. He was the 131st player to captain Wales. Wales won the game 38–14.

International Tries

Taulupe Faletau has scored many tries for Wales and the British & Irish Lions. Here are some of them:

Wales

Try	Opponent	Location	Venue	Tests	Date	Result
1	South Africa	Wellington, New Zealand	Westpac Stadium	2011 Rugby World Cup	11 September 2011	Loss
2	Namibia	New Plymouth, New Zealand	Yarrow Stadium	2011 Rugby World Cup	26 September 2011	Win
3	Argentina	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2013 Autumn Internationals	16 November 2013	Win
4	Scotland	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2014 Six Nations	15 March 2014	Win
5	Ireland	Dublin, Ireland	Lansdowne Road	2016 Six Nations	7 February 2016	Draw
6	England	London, England	Twickenham	2016 Six Nations	12 March 2016	Loss
7	New Zealand	Auckland, New Zealand	Eden Park	2016 Summer Internationals	11 June 2016	Loss
8	Italy	Rome, Italy	Stadio Olimpico	2021 Six Nations	13 March 2021	Win
9	Argentina	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2022 Autumn Internationals	12 November 2022	Win
10	Australia	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2022 Autumn Internationals	26 November 2022	Loss
11	Italy	Rome, Italy	Stadio Olimpico	2023 Six Nations	11 March 2023	Win
12	Portugal	Nice, France	Stade de Nice	2023 Rugby World Cup	16 September 2023	Win