Patrick Tuifua

Last updated

Patrick Tuifua
Date of birth (2004-08-25) 25 August 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth New Caledonia
Height191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight113 kg (249 lb; 17 st 11 lb)
School Lindisfarne College
Notable relative(s) Laurent Simutoga (uncle)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Current team Toulon
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2023–2024 Hawke's Bay 8 (0)
2025– Toulon 0 (0)
Correct as of 15 July 2025
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2024 France U20 2 (5)
Correct as of 6 August 2024

Patrick Tuifua (born 25 August 2004) is a French rugby union player, [1] who currently plays as a loose forward for Toulon in the French Top 14. [2] He previously played for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life

Born in New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific Ocean, Tuifua moved to New Zealand in 2020 at the age of 15 years-old and attended Lindisfarne College on a scholarship. [5]

Senior career

Tuifua played for Hawke's Bay in the National Provincial Championship in 2023 and 2024, and has represented the Hurricanes at age-grade level. [6] [7]

In April 2025, Top 14 club Toulon announced that Tuifua had signed a three-year deal with the club, starting from the 2025–26 season. [8] [2]

International career

Tuifua played for France U20 at the 2024 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. [9]

Personal life

Tuifua is the nephew of former rugby union player Laurent Simutoga. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Patrick Tuifua". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Patrick Tuifua s'engage avec le Rugby Club Toulonnais jusqu'en 2028" [Patrick Tuifua commits to RC Toulon until 2028]. RC Toulon (Press release) (in French). 4 April 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Magpies 2024 NPC squad confirmed". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 29 July 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. ↑ @hbmagpies; (31 July 2024). "Squad 2024" . Retrieved 1 August 2024– via Instagram.
  5. ↑ Newboult, Colin (29 March 2024). "All Blacks and France in tug-of-war for teenage sensation as Hurricanes starlet 'wanted' by five Top 14 giants". Planet Rugby. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  6. ↑ Newboult, Colin (14 May 2024). "France plan to 'block' All Blacks' swoop for wonderkid as tug-of-war intensifies". Planet Rugby. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  7. ↑ Billiard, Willy (30 January 2024). "France U20: Five to watch". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "French youngster Patrick Tuifua to join Toulon despite All Blacks interest". NZ Herald. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  9. ↑ Kelly, Glenn (3 February 2024). "Under-20s Six Nations: France 31–37 Ireland - Visitors off to winning start". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  10. ↑ Mortimer, Gavin (17 April 2024). "France and All Blacks in tug of war over latest star from New Caledonia". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.