Faletau in 2012
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Full name | Tangaki Taulupe Faletau | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 12 November 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Tofoa, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School |
Pontygof Primary School, Ebbw Vale Trevethin Community SchoolSouth Gloucestershire and Stroud College |
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Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position(s) | Number 8, Flanker | ||
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Senior career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
2009–10 2009 2016–present |
Cross Keys → Newport RFC (loan) Bath |
11 2 18 |
(10) (0) (25) |
Correct as of 1 October 2017
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Provincial / State sides | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
2009–16 | Newport Gwent Dragons | 110 | (50) |
Correct as of 1 May 2016
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National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
2010 2011–present 2013, 2017 |
Wales U20 Wales British and Irish Lions |
3 66 4 |
(0) (35) (5) |
Correct as of 8 July 2017
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Pontygof Primary School, Ebbw Vale
Tangaki Taulupe "Toby" Faletau (born 12 November 1990) is a Welsh international rugby union player of Tongan origin. The back row forward played for Cross Keys RFC and Newport RFC before joining the Newport Gwent Dragons. As of the 2016/2017 season Faletau plays for Bath Rugby.
Faletau was born in Tofoa, Tonga, to Tongan international Kuli Faletau, who represented Tonga at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Kuli moved to Wales in 1997 to join Ebbw Vale. He attended Pontnewynydd Primary School until July 2002, then attended Trevethin Community School, then attended Filton College (now part of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College) as part of the college's successful rugby academy and received player of the year during his time at the college.
As a young boy, his school friends struggled to pronounce his Tongan name, and so he picked up the nickname Toby. In recent years he has requested that his rugby squad name be recorded more accurately as Taulupe, but does not mind being called Toby.
Faletau spent his early years in Wales playing for Ebbw Vale RFC and New Panteg RFC juniors alongside Mako and Billy Vunipola, until youth level when he moved to Filton College, Bristol, to experience the English game. Prior to his move across the border, he had suffered several setbacks from both the Gwent District organisation and the Newport Gwent Dragons Regional.