Date of birth | 18 July 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 95 kg (209 lb; 14 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Auckland Grammar School, Massey High School, Mount Albert Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Katelyn Vaha'akolo (sister) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Freedom Vahaakolo (born 18 July 1997) [1] is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship (NPC) competition. [2]
Vahaakolo previously played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby. He was for the first time announced in the Highlanders side for Round 5 of the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season. [3]
He has also represented Otago in the NPC from 2020 to 2022. [4] [5]
Vahaakolo also played rugby league. In 2023, he joined the Point Chevalier Pirates rugby league club in Auckland, debuting for them on 15 April 2023. He played 16 games for them scoring 12 tries making him the second equal highest try scorer in Fox Memorial games for the season. Vahaakolo was then selected for the Auckland Vulcans representative side, playing four games and scoring three tries in the New Zealand Rugby League Premiership competition. One of his tries came in the 70-6 win over Counties-Manukau in the final. [6] [7]
The National Provincial Championship, often simply called the NPC, is an annual round-robin rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played in 1976, it is the second highest level of competition in New Zealand alongside the Ranfurly Shield. It is organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and since 2021, it has been known as the Bunnings NPC after its headline sponsor. A concurrent women's tournament is also held, the Farah Palmer Cup.
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