Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Petero Benjamin Nakubuwai [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Leeton, New South Wales, Australia | 15 March 1996|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 108 kg (17 st 0 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 5 November 2022 |
Petero Benjamin "Ben" Nakubuwai (born 15 March 1996) is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.
Nakubuwai previously played for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League and the Salford Red Devils in the Super League, and was a member of Fiji's squad for the 2017 World Cup.
Nakubuwai was born in Leeton, New South Wales, Australia to Fijian parents Pio and Eseta. [5] His father was a dual-code rugby international for Fiji during the 1990s, and is known as one of the pioneers of rugby league in Fiji. [6]
Nakubuwai grew up playing rugby union from the age of eight for the Leeton Phantoms, [5] and later took up rugby league at a junior level at age fourteen, playing for the Yanco-Wamoon Hawks and Bidgee Hurricanes. [7] Having been spotted by the Melbourne Storm, Nakubwai moved to Melbourne after completing his Higher School Certificate to play in their S. G. Ball Cup team. [8]
Nakubuwai joined Melbourne's National Youth Competition team in 2015, playing 42 matches over two seasons. [9] He made his international debut for Fiji against Papua New Guinea in May 2016. [10] In December 2016, Nakubuwai signed with the Gold Coast Titans. [11]
Nakubuwai spent most of the 2017 season playing for one of the Titans' feeder clubs, the Tweed Heads Seagulls, in the Queensland Cup. He was called upon to play two NRL matches for the Titans at the end of the season. [12]
On 29 November 2017, it was revealed Nakubuwai had signed a two-year deal to join English side Salford Red Devils in the Super League. [13] [14]
On 26 April 2022 it was announced that Nakubuwai had signed for Leigh until the end of the season. On 28 May 2022, he played for Leigh in their 2022 RFL 1895 Cup final victory over Featherstone. [15]
On 12 August 2023, Nakubuwai played for Leigh in their 2023 Challenge Cup final victory over Hull Kingston Rovers. It was Leigh's first major trophy in 52 years. [16] He played 19 games for Leigh in the 2023 Super League season as the club finished fifth on the table and qualified for the playoffs. He played in their elimination playoff loss against Hull Kington Rovers. [17]
Adrian Purtell is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Albury Thunder.
Krisnan Nevada Inu is a former professional rugby league footballer who is currently Assistant Coach at Salford Red Devils. He has played for both New Zealand and Samoa at international level.
Maurice "Bobby" Blair is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays in the second-row for the Northern Pride in the QRL State competition. He has previously played for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League, Blair has also played for the Gold Coast Titans, Melbourne Storm and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League.
Tom Briscoe is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League and has played for England at international level.
Kallum Paul Watkins is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or second-row forward for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League and England at international level.
Tafeaga Junior Sa'u is a professional New Zealand and Samoan rugby league player who plays as a centre for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also plays for the Keighley Cougars in RFL League 1. He previously played for New Zealand and Samoa at the international level.
Kevin Naiqama is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who usually plays as a centre or winger for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League and as a fullback or five-eighth for Fiji at the International level.
Zak Alexander Hardaker is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or fullback for the Leigh Leopards in the Super League. He has played for the England Knights, England and Great Britain at international level.
Joseph Patrick Mellor is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a stand-off or scrum-half for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League.
Ricky Leutele is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.
Top-level rugby league in 2013 centred on Australasia's 2013 NRL season and Super League XVIII. High-profile representative competitions included the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and the 2013 State of Origin series.
Nene Macdonald is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or centre for the Salford Red Devils in the Super League and Papua New Guinea at international level.
Jy Hitchcox is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, wing and centre for the Western Suburbs Red Devils in the Country Rugby League and the Illawarra Rugby League premiership.
Albert Vete is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League.
Oliver Patrick Gildart is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Hull KR in the Super League.
Ryley Jacks is a Canada international rugby league footballer who last played as a halfback, five-eighth for Brisbane Tigers in the Queensland Cup.
Ethan Ryan is an Ireland international rugby league footballer who plays as a wing, centre or fullback for Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League.
Ed Chamberlain is an Ireland international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre and winger for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.
Aaron Smith is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for Barrow Raiders in the RFL Championship.
Rhys Kennedy is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the London Broncos in the Betfred Super League.