PROFILE

 

DOB: 27/02/1990

Height: 182 cms

Weight: 97 kgs

Rugby Union Clubs:
Border  2001-02

Te Rarawa 2003

Waipapakauri 2004

Kaitaia western RFC 2005

 

Rugby League Clubs:

Hokianga Pioneers 2006

Whangatauatia 2005

Tamaki Titans (Bartercard Cup) 2007

 

Elijah lives in Auckland, where he is in the Top-25 Warriors NRL squad training full time, as well as part time studying to become a personal trainer.

He was born in the Taranaki town of Hawera and grew up in Patea. His family later moved to Northland (Kaitaia/Waiharara/Owhata/Herekino) where Elijah attended Kaitaia College for his 3rd-5th form.

He then moved to Auckland, pursuing a dream of playing professional football, and finished his schooling at St Paul's College where he played in both the First XV and First XIII and captained the league side.

A rugby union age group representative for Taranaki, Northland and Auckland, he started playing rugby league at the late age of 17. Picked up from the Warriors development squad 2006-2007, he then became a member of the Vodafone Warriors' inaugural NYC team in 2008 - when he played all 27 games - and captained the side in 2009, taking his NYC tally to 47 appearances and being named the club's NYC Player of the Year.

Elijah was set to become the club's 155th first-grader against the Titans in 2009 when he was forced out with hamstring injury. Then he was about to become an NRL player in 2010 while still being eligible for the NYC, when again injury intervened: a ruptured ACL knee joint sidelined him for six months. 

He came storming back at the end of the 2010 winter season to rejoin the Junior Warriors, for whom he was still age eligible, in the NYC championship playoffs.

The team proved unbeatable and when its regular captain was injured Elijah stepped back into the role he previously filled and guided the lads to the Premiership - the Warriors club's first title.

Schooling

  • Whenuakura primary
  • Patea High School (Taranaki), 2001-02
  • Kaitaia College (Northland) , 2003-2005
  • St Paul's College (Auckland), 2006-2007

 

Achievements

  • 2002 Taranaki RU U14s
  • 2004 Northland RU U14s
  • 2005 Northland RU15s
  • 2006 Auckland RU U16s
  • Warriors Development Squad
  • St Paul's 1st XV, 1st XIII
  • 2007 Tamaki Titans (Bartercard) - Most Promising Player
    • St Paul's 1st XV- Captain
  • Warriors Development squad   
  • NZ Maoris U18s
  • 2008 Vodafone Warriors NYC -Young player of the Year
  • 2009 Vodafone Warriors NYC - Player of the Year - Captain
  • Inaugural winner of the Sonny Fai Medal after being named the club's 2009 Vodafone NYC Player of the Year.
  • 2010 Vodafone Warriors (NRL)