Though he never established a regular All Black position in the mid 2000s, Sam Tuitupou won national recognition in this period, especially for his effectiveness at provincial level for Auckland and the power of his fearless tackling, which won him the sobriquet, “The Tongan Torpedo.”

Auckland born and raised, Tuitupou had a background in league before rugby picked him up when he excelled in the outstanding Kelston Boys High School first XV, from which he was chosen for the national secondary schools side.

He also made other national age group sides at under 19 and colts levels, before making his Auckland representative debut in 2002. A natural leader, Tuitupou often captained Auckland and when at the end of 2007 he departed for an overseas contract he had played 53 games for the union.

He won several honours with Auckland: NPC titles in 2002-03 and 05 and the Air New Zealand Cup competition in 2007, plus being in winning Ranfurly Shield sides in 2003 and 2007.

Tuitupou played his first Super 12 games with the Blues in 2003 and made 40 appearances for the franchise. The competition for midfield positions, however, was such that in 2006 he was placed in the draft and played 13 matches that year for the Chiefs.

Tuitupou’s starring role, both on attack and defence, in Auckland’s 2003 NPC-Shield double saw him promoted to the All Blacks in 2004. However, against the competition of Aaron Mauger and later Luke McAlister for a position at second five eighths, Tuitupou received only sporadic test opportunities.

Of his six tests in 2004 four were from the reserves bench, his only starts being against Argentina in Hamilton and South Africa in Johannesburg. He was overlooked for the entire 2005 season and in 2006 reappeared for three more caps, against Argentina in Buenos Aires and South Africa in Wellington and as a replacement with 16 minutes left against the Springboks in Pretoria.

He was overlooked for the end of season tour in 2006 and for all of 2007. Tuitupou, to an extent, owed his All Black selection to Graham Henry’s much debated rotation policy and in the end he was probably a casualty of it.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Samual  Tuitupou

BORN

Monday, 1 February 1982 in Auckland

AGE

28

PHYSICAL

1.76m, 86kg

POSITION

Second five-eighth

LAST SCHOOL

Kelston Boys' High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Ponsonby

PROVINCE

Auckland

SUPER 14 TEAM

Chiefs

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 12 June 2004
v England at Dunedin
aged 22 years, 132 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 12 June 2004
v England at Dunedin
aged 22 years, 132 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 26 August 2006
v South Africa at Pretoria
aged 24 years, 206 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

10 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

0 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

10 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

5pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

0pts

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

5pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

1040

The All Black Games that Tuitupou played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

2004

 12 Jun vs England at Dunedin 36-3 (+) 

 19 Jun vs England at Auckland 36-12 (+) 

 26 Jun vs Argentina at Hamilton 41-7  

 24 Jul vs South Africa at Christchurch 23-21 (+) 

 7 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 18-23 (+) 

 14 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 26-40 (-) 

2006

 24 Jun vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 25-19  

 22 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 35-17 (-) 

 26 Aug vs South Africa at Pretoria 45-26 (+) 

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Argentina, 26 Jun 2004

1

-

-

-

5

Totals

1

0

0

0

5

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Argentina

2

2

-

-

1

-

-

-

5

Australia

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

England

2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Africa

4

3

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Totals

9

7

0

2

1

0

0

0

5