Paul Whatuira

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Paul Whatuira
fullname = Paul Khan Whatuira
nickname = Fattz


caption =
country =
position = rlp|CE
currentclub = leagueicon|Huddersfield|16 Huddersfield Giants
clubnumber = 4
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|7|31|df=yes
placeofbirth = Wellington
countryofbirth = New Zealand
height = height|ft=6|in=0
weight = 14 st 7 lbs (92 kg)
club1 = leagueicon|Auckland Warriors|size=16 Auckland Warriors
year1start = 2000
year1end =
appearances1 = 5
tries1 = 0
goals1 = 0
fieldgoals1 = 0
points1 = 0
club2 = leagueicon|Melbourne Storm|16 Melbourne Storm
year2start = 2001
year2end =
appearances2 = 6
tries2 = 2
goals2 = 0
fieldgoals2 = 0
points2 = 8
club3 = leagueicon|Penrith Panthers|16 Penrith Panthers
year3start = 2002
year3end = 2004
appearances3 = 62
tries3 = 21
goals3 = 0
fieldgoals3 = 0
points3 = 84
club4 = leagueicon|Wests Tigers|16 Wests Tigers
year4start = 2005
year4end = 2007
appearances4 = 58
tries4 = 30
goals4 = 0
fieldgoals4 = 0
points4 = 120
club5 = leagueicon|Huddersfield|16 Huddersfield Giants
year5start = 2008
year5end = present
appearances5 = 26
tries5 = 13
goals5 = 0
fieldgoals5 = 0
points5 = 52
teamA = leagueicon|New Zealand Kiwis|16 New Zealand Māori
yearAstart = 2000
yearAend =
appearancesA = 1
triesA = 0
goalsA = 0
fieldgoalsA = 0
pointsA = 0
teamB = leagueicon|New Zealand Kiwis|16 New Zealand
yearBstart = 2004
yearBend = 2007
appearancesB = 16
triesB = 4
goalsB = 0
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 16
updated = 09:51, 17 September 2008 (UTC)
source =

Paul Khan Whatuira (born July 31 1981 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby league player for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League where he is contracted until the end of the 2010 season. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/huddersfield/6936798.stm Giants sign Kiwi centre Whatuira] BBC Sport "Retrieved 8 August 2007"] His position of choice is at Centre.

NRL career

Whatuira previously played for the New Zealand Warriors, Melbourne Storm, Penrith Panthers and the Wests Tigers. He made his first grade debut for New Zealand Warriors against Wests Tigers in the Leichhardt Oval on 14 February 2000. He has won two NRL titles to date, the first in 2003 with Penrith, and most recently with Wests Tigers in 2005.

He had a forgettable 2006, he was sin-binned in the Tigers' loss to the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville just before half-time with Matt Sing scoring in his absence. In the return match, he suffered a hamstring injury which was aggravated during the warm-up versus Brisbane Broncos meaning he would not play for the rest of the campaign.

International career

Whatuira has represented the New Zealand national team on 10 occasions between 2004 and 2006, including the 24-0 win over Australia at Elland Road in the 2005 Tri Nations tournament, in which he scored a try. Whatuira has been selected in the 19-man squad for the one-off New Zealand vs Australia Centenary test in Wellington, New Zealand on October 14, 2007.

Charity work

During 2006, Paul posed for the "Naked Rugby League 2007-08" charity calendar, which was produced to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Paul also posed alongside former Wests Tigers teammates Robbie Farah and Dene Halatau for the "Naked For A Cause 2008-09" calendar for the McGrath Foundation charity.

References

External links

* [http://www.weststigers.com.au/player_profiles_detail.aspx?PlayerId=20 Paul Whatuira Official Player Profile]
* [http://www.nrl.com/Clubs/WestsTigers/WestsTigersPlayerProfile/tabid/213/playerid/75/Default.aspx Paul Whatuira NRL Player Profile]