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Josh Kaifa
Full nameSiosiua A. Kaifa
Date of birth (1992-07-21) 21 July 1992 (age 32)
Place of birthAuckland, New Zealand
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight103 kg (227 lb; 16 st 3 lb)
SchoolOnehunga High School
Notable relative(s)Tatafu Polota-Nau (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Number 8
Current team Hawke's Bay
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013–2014 Parramatta Two Blues 36 (5)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–2017 Auckland 7 (0)
2018– Hawke's Bay 60 (65)
2022 Moana Pasifika 4 (0)
2024 Zebre Parma 4 (0)
Correct as of 10 October 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2024– Tonga 2 (0)
Correct as of 26 July 2024

Josh Kaifa (born 21 July 1992) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.[1] He previously played  – as an injury replacement – for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby and Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship.

Early career

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Kaifa hails from Auckland, where he attended Onehunga High School. He played for the school's 1st XV team alongside future Auckland and Hawke's Bay teammate Stacey Ili.[2]

After leaving school, he moved to Australia where he played for Melbourne club Footscray in the Dewar Shield competition. During that time, in 2012, he played for – and captained – the Victoria Under 20 team in an interstate tournament, including a 42–5 win over Queensland Country in the final.[3]

The following year, he moved to Sydney where he played two seasons for the Parramatta Two Blues in the Shute Shield competition. He made his debut for Parramatta on 6 April 2013 against Sydney University[4] and played a total of 36 games for the club.[5]

He returned to New Zealand in 2015, where he played for – and captained – Manukau Rovers in the Auckland club rugby competition.[6] On 27 July 2015, Kaifa was named in the Auckland B squad.[7] At the end of the season, he was named the Auckland B player of the year.[8] A year later, he was named the Auckland Club player of the year.[9]

Kaifa is the cousin of former Australia hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau.[3]

Senior career

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Kaifa was named in the Auckland squad for the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup season.[10] He made his debut for the province, via the bench, against Northland on 26 August 2016.[2][11] He earned his first start for Auckland against Bay of Plenty on 25 September, that year.[12]

In 2017, Kaifa missed out on a spot in the Auckland's Mitre 10 Cup squad, but still made two appearances for the province as an injury replacement.[13]

In 2018, he moved to Hawke's Bay, where he played for Clive Rugby & Sports Club in the province's club rugby competition.[14] On 8 August 2018, he was named in the Hawke's Bay squad for the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season.[15] He made his first appearance and start for the province on 19 August 2018 against Southland and scored a try on debut.[16] Since that game, he's been a regular in the Hawke's Bay match day 23.

Since his arrival in Hawke's Bay, Kaifa played several games for the Hurricanes Development team,[17][18] but wasn't offered a Super Rugby contract. However, he received a call-up to train with the Crusaders during their preseason ahead of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season and played in the franchise's preseason game against the Highlanders on 4 February 2022.[19]

Kaifa made his Super Rugby debut on 19 March 2022 for Moana Pasifika against the Chiefs, after coming into the squad in place of Jack Lam.[20]

On 20 February 2024, Zebre Parma announced that the club had signed Kaifa as an injury replacement until the end of the 2023–24 United Rugby Championship season.[21] He made his debut for the club on 1 March 2024 in their round 11 game against Munster[22][23] and went on to play 4 games for the club.[24]

International career

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On 21 June 2024, Kaifa – who is of Tongan descent and eligible to represent Tonga internationally – was named in the Tongan national team for a two-test series against Italy and Spain and the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup.[25][26] He made his debut for Tonga on 12 July 2024 against Italy in Nukuʻalofa.[27]

References

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  1. ^ @hbmagpies (31 July 2024). "Squad 2024". Retrieved 19 August 2024 – via Instagram.
  2. ^ a b "Fonoti poised for first Auckland start". Auckland Rugby (Press release). 25 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Rugby rebel Josh Kaifa embraces Footscray springboard". Star Weekly. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Shute Shield Round 1 Preview: Woodies kick off new season against up and coming Rebels". NSW Rugby. 3 April 2013. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Josh Kaifa Itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Ponsonby have the bye this weekend after devastating loss to Manukau". Stuff NZ. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Auckland B squad named". Auckland Rugby (Press release). 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 29 July 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Rugby: Polwart takes top gong at ARU awards". NZ Herald. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  9. ^ "2016 season celebrated at Auckland Rugby Awards". Auckland Rugby. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Mitre10 Cup Squad Announced for 2016". Auckland Rugby (Press release). 18 July 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  11. ^ "PREVIEW: Auckland v Northland". mitre10cup.co.nz. 25 August 2016. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Nanai and Visinia return for Auckland". Auckland Rugby (Press release). 23 September 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Settled Auckland line-up to face Taniwha". Auckland Rugby (Press release). 24 August 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Rugby: Boswell-Wakefield returns to Magpies nest". Hawke's Bay Today. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  15. ^ "2018 Magpies Squad Announced". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 8 August 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Hawke's Bay holds off Southland despite playing with 13 men". Stuff NZ (Press release). 19 August 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Hurricanes Development to face Japan A". Hurricanes (Press release). 24 April 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Hurricanes Hunters squad to take on Blues A named". Hurricanes (Press release). 6 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Crusaders team named for first pre-season game in Weston". Crusaders (Press release). 2 February 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Moana Pasifika Named For Round 5 With Gallagher Chiefs". Moana Pasifika (Press release). 17 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Josh Kaifa rinforza il pacchetto di mischia delle Zebre" [Josh Kaifa strengthens Zebra scrum pack]. Zebre Parma (Press release) (in Italian). 20 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Le Zebre strappano uno storico punto di bonus in casa del Munster" [Zebre snatch historic bonus point at Munster's home]. Zebre Parma (in Italian). 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  23. ^ "URC Origin Round: Round 11 Team Announcements". United Rugby Championship. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Le Zebre salutano nove atleti che lasciano il club" [Zebre says goodbye to nine athletes who leave the club]. Zebre Parma (in Italian). 15 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  25. ^ @officialtongarugby (21 June 2024). "Team Announcement! 'Ikale Tahi Squad for Upcoming July Test Series & PNC". Retrieved 15 July 2024 – via Instagram.
  26. ^ "'Ikale Tahi arrives in Tonga for upcoming matches". Matangi Tonga Online. 1 July 2024. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  27. ^ "'Ikale Tahi team for Friday's international in Tonga". Matangi Tonga Online. 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
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