New Zealand

New Zealand (/njuːˈziːlənd/ new-ZEE-lənd, Māori: Aotearoa [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses – that of the North Island, or Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island, or Te Waipounamu – and numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

Somewhere between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that were to become New Zealand, and developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4.5 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English predominant.

New Zealand Warriors

The New Zealand Warriors (formerly known as the Auckland Warriors) are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia. Currently coached by Andrew McFadden and captained by Simon Mannering, the Warriors are based at Mt Smart Stadium in the south Auckland suburb of Penrose.

For the 1995 season the newly formed Auckland Warriors became the first off-shore club to be admitted to the Australian Rugby League's premiership when it expanded from 16 to 20 teams. As a result, Super League war in the mid-1990s, Auckland left the ARL to compete in the Super League competition of 1997, before joining the re-unified NRL during the following year. They re-branded themselves the New Zealand Warriors in 2001. Over seventeen seasons the Warriors have claimed one minor premiership (in 2002), reached two grand finals (2002 and 2011), reached the play-offs 7 times, and provided the majority of the New Zealand national team's players.

Shaun Johnson

Shaun Johnson (born 9 September 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League. A New Zealand international representative goal-kicking halfback, he has played his entire career to date with the Warriors.

Early years

Johnson's mother is Laotian and his father is a Pākehā (New Zealander of European origin). From Whangaparaoa, Johnson attended Orewa College and played many sports, including basketball and rugby union, but made his name playing touch and Australian rules football. He represented New Zealand in both touch and Australian rules football and played rugby union in his school's First XV.

Playing career

Johnson played for the Hibiscus Coast Raiders in the Auckland Rugby League competition before being signed by the New Zealand Warriors in 2009. Johnson started his professional career playing for the Junior Warriors in the Toyota Cup. In March 2009, league great Andrew Johns commented: "I haven't been this excited about a player in a long time." Johns was referring to the first time he saw Stacey Jones play, which was in 1995, when Stacey was a junior. Johnson spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons with the Junior Warriors and played 45 matches, scoring 25 tries, 159 goals and 4 field goals to finish his Toyota Cup career with 422 points. Johnson made his NSW Cup debut for the Auckland Vulcans in 2010 and also represented the Junior Kiwis that year. His final Toyota Cup match was being part of the Junior Warriors winning the 2010 Grand Final.

David Fusitu'a

David Fusitu'a is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors. Fusitu'a plays primarily on the wing and at centre.

Early years

Fusitu'a attended Kelston Boys' High School and played junior football for the Marist Saints. Fusitu'a was signed by the New Zealand Warriors and played for the Junior Warriors in 2012 as a 17-year-old. In 2013 he played in the side that lost the Holden Cup grand final and also spent time with the Auckland Vulcans in the NSW Cup. Fusitu'a played for New Zealand under-18s in 2011 and the Junior Kiwis in 2012 and 2013. Fusitu'a was named in the train on squad for Tonga for the 2013 World Cup but was not selected in the final squad.

Playing career

2014

In February 2014, Fusitu'a was selected for the Warriors inaugural 2014 Auckland Nines squad. In Round 2 of the 2014 NRL season, Fusitu'a made his first grade debut for the New Zealand Warriors on the wing, replacing the injured Manu Vatuvei in the Warriors 31-12 loss at Eden Park. In Round 8 in the ANZAC Day match against the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park, he scored his first first grade try in the Warriors 16-10 win and he finished off his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 12 matches and scoring 7 tries for the Warriors in the 2014 NRL season. On 9 September 2014, Fusitu'a was selected for the New Zealand Kiwis 2014 Rugby League Four Nations train on squad. On 12 December 2014, Fusitu'a re-signed with the New Zealand Warriors on a 2-year contract, keeping him at the club to the end of the 2017 season.

Solomone Kata

Solomone Kata (born 3 December 1994) is a Tongan professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League. He plays at centre and wing and is a Tongan national representative.

Background

Born in Neiafu, Tonga, Kata moved to New Zealand in 2011 on a rugby union scholarship at Sacred Heart College, Auckland. Kata represented the Tongan under 21 side.

Rugby league career

2013

Kata switched to rugby league in 2013, signing with the New Zealand Warriors. Kata played for the Warriors Holden Cup team and was part of the side that lost the Grand Final 30-42 to the Penrith Panthers. Kata played in the 2014 Auckland Nines with the first grade side, before returning to the under 20s competition.

2014

Kata played for the Warriors in the inaugural NRL Auckland Nines At the end of the regular season, Kata played at centre in the 2014 Holden Cup grand final, scoring a hat-trick in the Junior Warriors' 34-32 defeat of the Brisbane Broncos juniors. Kata won the Jack Gibson Medal as the grand final player of the match. On 20 October 2014 Kata made his international début, playing for Tonga in their end-of-year test-match against Papua New Guinea.