Towering teenage lock Kaiya Tafea has been signed by the Queensland Reds to maximise his potential under a three-year development deal.
The proud product of The Southport School is already 2.04m and 125kg at just 16 in only his third season of regular rugby. Incredibly, that already makes him bigger than the two locks who started for the Wallabies in their last Test.
The Queensland Rugby Union, in partnership with Rugby Australia, is delighted to announce the three-year deal which means Tafea can advance his skills and rugby education in a high-performance environment at Ballymore.
“It feels good. I can’t wait to see what’s possible over the next three years and I’m looking forward to the hard work it will take,” Tafea said.
“I want to make a name for myself in rugby but I know there’s a lot to learn and plenty of improvements to make.”
The Year 11 schoolboy already has a strong grip on the earth with his size 15 boots and was lifted in the lineout for the first time last year when he finally had teammates big enough to do so.
From a rugby league background, Tafea has focussed on rugby through the excellent coaching at TSS since moving from Auckland to the Gold Coast in 2014 when he was 13. He was selected for the Queensland Under-15s last year and played for the Queensland U18s this year.
In the process, his idol has switched from the NRL’s Jason Taumalolo to giant Wallabies lock Will Skelton.
“I see a bit of me when I look at Will. It’s definitely one of my dreams to travel and play rugby,” Tafea said.
“The coaching staff at TSS have helped me a lot and the school has been very welcoming.
“I’m much fitter. Lowering my body height through contact, my ball-carrying and learning more at scrums and lineouts have all been big improvements over the past 12 months.
“Rugby suits me. I feel I get more involved with the rucks, lineouts and stuff.
“I keep up with my academics as well. Dad reminds me that I haven’t accomplished anything yet and he’s right. That will come with hard work.”
Top-level coaching, the world-class BMS National Rugby Training Centre at Ballymore, training with the Buildcorp Reds Academy and playing opportunities with the Reds Under-18s will advance his game.
Tafea will play for TSS at home on the Gold Coast in the 16As in Saturday’s round of GPS Rugby and may earn his First XV debut off the bench against Gregory Terrace.
"Kaiya was in our system last year with the Reds U15s and he shows great promise," Reds Head of Talent Management Paul Carozza said.
"We are really pleased he has committed to the program over the next three years to continue his development."
TSS Director of Rugby Mike Wallace said Tafea is a young player of great potential.
“We made the intentional decision last year to play Kaiya, at 15, in the 16As because it meant he had to be more physical to be successful,” Wallace said.
“He took it on playing with older boys and it also meant some stronger boys lifting him in a lineout for the first time. He’s already developing that professional approach to detail that he needs.
“He’s a very good young man with a work ethic for rugby and his studies.”
