Billy Weepu Explained

Billy Weepu
Birth Place:Wellington, New Zealand
Weight:130kg (290lb)
Club1:Wainuiomata Lions
Club2:Manly Sea Eagles
Year2start:1995
Year2end:97
Appearances2:13
Tries2:0
Goals2:0
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:0
Teama:New Zealand Māori
Yearastart:2000
Retired:yes
Source:[1]
New:yes

Billy Weepu is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who played for the Manly Sea Eagles in the NRL, and is now a news camera operator.

He is the brother of rugby union player Piri Weepu.

Playing career

Early years

Weepu started his career with the Wainuiomata Lions in the Wellington Rugby League competition.[2]

Manly Sea Eagles

He was then scouted by Manly and joined the club in 1994. He went on to play 13 first grade games for the club in 1995 and 1997 as well as becoming a regular in reserve grade.

He was regarded as one of the heaviest players to play in the Australian competition.[3]

Return to New Zealand

Weepu played for both Wellington and Taranaki in the 1999 National Provincial Competition, becoming the subject of a NZRL appeal.[4] Along with fellow Wellington prop, Tino Brown, Weepu was later ruled ineligible to play for the Taranaki Sharks.

With the start of the Bartercard Cup in 2000 Weepu was part of the Wainuiomata Lions side that participated in the first two seasons.

In 2002, with the demise of the Lions, he moved to the Central Falcons.[5]

Representative career

Weepu was selected for the Junior Kiwis in 1994.[6]

In 2000 Weepu represented New Zealand Māori.[7]

In 2015 Weepu played for the New Zealand Parliamentary rugby team that played in the United Kingdom for Parliamentary World Cup.

Later years

Weepu worked as a Camera operator for TV3's Campbell Live until 2015. He previously worked on 60 Minutes.[8] He remains with Newshub as of 2020.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/billy-weepu/summary.html RLP
  2. Web site: Laban rewarded for hard work. 8 September 2008. The Dominion Post. 20 September 2011.
  3. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/sports-big-show-proves-fat-is-phat/story-e6freyar-1225731815182 Sport's big show proves fat is phat
  4. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23977679.html Canterbury to protest Taranaki win
  5. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-24013180.html Tornadoes' storming run
  6. Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1994. p.154
  7. Book: John Coffey, Bernie Wood . 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. 2008. 313. 978-1-86969-331-2.
  8. http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/former-kiwi-prop-todd-named-in-drugring-investigation/2005/08/11/1123353446899.html Watch it and Weepu