13 Facts About Wairangi Koopu

Wairangi Koopu is fluent in Te Reo Maori and often appeared on Maori Television.

Wairangi Koopu was born in Opotiki, New Zealand, on 2 April 1980.

Wairangi Koopu is of Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngati Awa iwi.

Wairangi Koopu started playing rugby league for the Taniwharau Rugby League club in Huntly, where he attended school at Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga.

Wairangi Koopu represented the NZ Maori at the 2000 RLWC and played for the Kiwi's 3 times.

Wairangi Koopu made his first grade debut for the Auckland Warriors in Round 6,1999.

Wairangi Koopu went on to play for the club 159 times, earning the nickname "Mr Consistency".

Wairangi Koopu played for the New Zealand Maori in 1999 and at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.

Wairangi Koopu played for the New Zealand Warriors from the interchange bench in their 2002 NRL Grand Final loss to the Sydney Roosters.

Wairangi Koopu seriously injured his shoulder in 2006 and never fully regained his consistency with the Warriors.

That year Wairangi Koopu again played for the New Zealand Maori in two games, including a match against an Indigenous Dreamtime side.

Wairangi Koopu was named as reserve for the Storm team that won the 2009 NRL Grand Final, a premiership that was later stripped after their long-term salary cap breaches came to light in 2010.

In 2010 Wairangi Koopu played alongside Stacey Jones and Awen Guttenbeil in rebuilding Pt Chev Pirates rugby league club in Auckland Rugby League's Phelan Shield.