Sam Rapira

Sam Rapira

Rapira playing for the Warriors in 2013
Personal information
Born	8 April 1987 Hamilton, New Zealand
Height	1.84 m (6 ft ^1⁄2 in)
Weight	110 kg (240 lb)
Playing information
Position	Prop
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2006–15	NZ Warriors	173	14	0	0	56
2016–	Huddersfield Giants	2	0	0	0	0
	Total	175	14	0	0	56
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2007–11	New Zealand	13	0	0	0	0
As of 1 March 2015
Source: [1]

Sam Rapira (born 8 April 1987 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Huddersfield Giants in the European Super League. A New Zealand international representative prop-forward, he previously played in the National Rugby League for the New Zealand Warriors. Rapira was also part of the New Zealand team that won the 2008 World Cup.

Early years

The older brother of Steve, Sam Rapira attended Hamilton Boys' High School and played for the Hukanui club.^[2] He later played for the Waicoa Bay Stallions in the Bartercard Cup. Rapira first made the Junior Kiwis in 2004, and played for them again in 2005. Also in 2005 he was named in the New Zealand Residents squad.

Playing career

2000s

Rapira made his NRL debut for the Warriors in 2006 against the Wests Tigers. That year he also played for New Zealand 'A'.

Rapira was first selected to play for the New Zealand national team from the interchange bench in the 2007 ANZAC Test loss against Australia.^[3] In 2007 he played in all 26 games for the club.

In August 2008, Rapira was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 World Cup,^[4] and in October 2008, he was named in the final 24-man Kiwi squad.^[5] He was part of the team that won the World Cup Final.

2010s

For the 2010 Anzac Test, Rapira was selected to play for New Zealand at prop forward in their loss against Australia.

In 2011 Rapira extended his contract with the club until the end of the 2014 season.^[6] Rapira announced that he was leaving the Warriors at the end of the 2015 NRL season to join the Huddersfield Giants on a two season deal from 2016 ^[7]

References

1. Sam Rapira rugbyleagueproject.org
2. World Cup Stars for Vodafone Warriors trial in Hamilton Warriors Official Site
3. "Anzac Test Match 2007". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
4. "Kiwis select Sonny Bill". Sky Sports. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
5. "Kiwis to wait on Webb and Matai". BBC. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
6. Rapira commits to Warriors rleague.com, 13 November 2011