Aaron Heremaia

Aaron Heremaia

Heremaia playing for the Warriors in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Aaron Aspin Heremaia
Born	19 September 1982 Auckland, New Zealand, New Zealand
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	88 kg (13 st 12 lb)
Playing information
Position	Halfback, Hooker
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2009–11	NZ Warriors	60	5	0	0	20
2012–14	Hull	70	13	4	0	60
2015–	Widnes Vikings	32	4	0	0	16
	Total	162	22	4	0	96
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2002–10	New Zealand Māori
2010	New Zealand	1	0	0	0	0
Source: [1][2]

Aaron Aspin Heremaia^[3] (born 9 July 1982 in Auckland, New Zealand^[4]) is a New Zealand rugby league player who currently plays for the Widnes Vikings in the Super League. His position of preference is at hooker or halfback.

Playing career

Educated at Tangaroa College and a Manurewa Marlins junior, Heremaia started his career in 2001 playing for the Hibiscus Coast Raiders in the Bartercard Cup whilst on a New Zealand Warriors development contract.^[5] Here he played under successful coaches Tony Benson and Brian McClennan. Heremaia however failed to be picked up by the Warriors.^[5] In 2004 Heremaia moved to Australia to play in the NSWRL Premier League, where he represented the Western Suburbs Magpies and North Sydney Bears in successive years.

In 2006 he moved to England to play for the Leigh Centurions in the National League One, again linking up with Tony Benson. That year Heremaia was part of the team that won the Northern Rail Cup. He has also played for the Widnes Vikings in 2007 and Halifax in 2008.^[6]

Returning to New Zealand and the Manurewa Marlins, Heremaia was able to make the Auckland Vulcans team for 2008, playing in the NSW Cup. From here he was able to impress the New Zealand Warriors and was signed to a contract for the 2009 season. He made his first grade debut in Round Twelve against the Wests Tigers.^[7] He was re-signed by the Warriors until the end of the 2011 season.^[8] Heremaia joined Hull F.C. in 2012 on a two-year deal with an option for a third.^[9]

On the 8th of May 2014, Hull F.C. announced that they would release Heremaia at the end of the 2014 season.^[10]

One day after Hull announced Aaron would leave at the end of the season, the Widnes Vikings announced he will arrive at the club at the end of the 2014 season to play in 2015.^[11][12]

Representative career

Heremaia played for the Junior Kiwis in 2001. He made his debut for the New Zealand Māori side in 2002.^[13] He would regularly appear for the side while based in New Zealand and captained New Zealand Māori on several occasions.

For the 2010 Anzac Test, Heremaia was selected to play for New Zealand from the interchange bench in their loss against Australia.

References

1. Shawn Dollin and Andrew Ferguson (19 October 2015). "Aaron Heremaia". rugbyleagueproject.org.
2. "Aaron Heremaia". loverugbyleague.com.
3. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 334. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
4. "Official website of Hull FC:Profile of Aaron Heremaia". Retrieved 22 August 2012.
5. Jessup, Peter (18 April 2009). "NRL: Heremaia back in the fold". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
6. Fax sign Kiwi half back Aaron The Evening Courier, 16 October 2007
7. Locke and Heremaia to make NRL debuts Warriors.co.nz, 26 May 2009
8. Patrick Ah Van, Aaron Heremaia and Isaac John have re-signed with the warriors until the end of the 2011 season www.rugbyleague.co.nz, 10 May 2009
9. Hull FC sign New Zealand Warrior Aaron Heremaia code13rugbyleague.com, 2 June 2011
10. "Super League: Hull hooker Aaron Heremaia not offered new deal". Sky Sports.
11. "Super League: Widnes Vikings sign Aaron Heremaia after Hull release". Sky Sports.
12. "Heremaia to join the Vikings for 2015". 2013.superleague.co.uk.
13. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.

External links

• Warriors player profile
• Centurions player profile