Rory Parata Explained

Rory Parata
Birth Date:1994 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Sydney, Australia
Weight:97kg (214lb)
Ru Currentteam:Zebre
Ru Currentposition:Centre
Ru Position:Centre
Ru Amateuryears:

2013–2017
2017
Ru Amateurclubs:Dolphin
Sundays Well
Galwegians
Harbour Dunedin
Ru Clubyears:2015−2017
2016
2018
2018−
Ru Proclubs:Connacht
→Connacht Eagles
Zebre
Cornish Pirates
Ru Clubcaps:29
2
5
Ru Clubpoints:(25)
(0)
(0)
Ru Clubupdate:5 January 2018
Ru Provinceyears:2015–2017
2017
Ru Nationalyears:2013
Ru Nationalteam:Ireland U19
Ru Nationalcaps:2
Ru Ntupdate:7 April 2013
School:St Peter's Community School
Rockwell College
University:IT Carlow

Rory Parata (born 14 August 1994) is an Australian-born Irish professional rugby union player. He primarily plays as a centre. As of 2021, Parata plays for English side Cornish Pirates in the RFU Championship.[1] He previously played for Irish provincial side Connacht, having come through the team's academy, and Zebre.

Early life

Parata was born in Sydney, Australia to a father from New Zealand and a mother from Ireland. His family moved to his mother's native County Cork when he was nine years old. Parata played rugby league from a young age in Australia, but after his family moved to Ireland he found he disliked the non-contact rugby union played at under-age with Dolphin. He instead played Gaelic football with Passage West and soccer instead, before returning to rugby at a later age.[2] After returning to rugby Parata played with another Cork city-based club, this time Sundays Well.[3]

Parata attended St Peter's Community School in Passage West and Rockwell College in Cashel.[4] He played for Rockwell in the Munster Schools Senior Cup and was part of the starting team beaten in the final by Crescent College in the final in 2013.[5]

Club career

Connacht

Parata played for the Munster under-18 clubs team,[6] but moved to Irish rivals Connacht at under-19 level. He joined the Connacht academy ahead of the 2013–14 season.[7] With the move to the west of Ireland, Parata also joined All-Ireland League team Galwegians. While he was playing with Galwegians, the club won successive promotions, ending up in Division 1A.

Parata's first senior appearance for Connacht came in a preseason friendly against Wasps in August 2013.[2] He did not feature for the senior team in his first two years in the academy, but featured for the second tier side, the Connacht Eagles, in the British and Irish Cup. In the 2013–14 competition, Parata started three games,[8] [9] [10] was named on the bench for two[11] [12] and didn't feature in the other.[13] In the following season he played in two of the British and Irish Cup games, one of these appearances coming as a start,[14] [15] and also played for the Eagles in a friendly with the Germany national team in January 2015.[16]

In the 2015–16 preseason, Parata made his first start for Connacht, featuring against Grenoble, Castres and Munster in friendly matches.[2] With first choice centre Robbie Henshaw away at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Parata made his competitive debut for Connacht in the opening game of the 2015–16 Pro12, starting against the Newport Gwent Dragons on 4 September 2015.[17] He made his first European appearance just over two months later, when he featured in Connacht's opening 2015–16 Challenge Cup fixture. Parata scored a try in the game away to Russian side Enisei-STM, which took place in the team's Siberian base of Krasnoyarsk.[18] During the course of the season, he played a total of 12 Pro12 games and six in the Challenge Cup.

It was announced in December 2016 that Parata had signed a senior contract with Connacht, becoming a full member of the province's first team squad in the 2016–17 season.[19] He played fewer games in that season, making five appearances in the 2016–17 Pro12 and three in the Champions Cup. In April 2017, it was announced that Parata would leave the province at the end of the season.[20]

Harbour Dunedin

After leaving Connacht, Parata travelled to his father's native New Zealand. He was one of a number of released Connacht players to make the journey, along with Ciarán Gaffney, Cian Romaine and Jack Dineen.[20] In New Zealand Parata joined Harbour, an amateur team in the Dunedin Premier. While he was playing with them, the side reached the final of the competition, where they were beaten 24–15 by Southern.[21]

Zebre

In January 2018, it was announced that Parata would return to the Pro14, having signed for Italian side Zebre for the remainder of the season. The move saw him link up with former Connacht head coach Michael Bradley and his former Connacht teammate Ciarán Gaffney.[22]

International career

Parata has represented Ireland at under-age level, though he is also qualified to play for Australia by birth and New Zealand through his father. In 2013 he was selected for the Irish under-19 squad in games against England and France.[23] In the first game he featured as a replacement,[24] before starting at out-half against France the following week.[25]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'I'm loving it here': Corkman Rory Parata relishing Cornish Pirates' famous victory over Saracens . Irish Examiner . irishexaminer.com . 16 March 2021 . 18 October 2021 . 18 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211018100702/https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-40245011.html . live .
  2. Web site: Aussie-born starlet ready to make the most of his big chance . . 17 February 2016 . 4 September 2015 . 5 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305135155/http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/aussieborn-starlet-ready-to-make-the-most-of-his-big-chance-31500227.html . live .
  3. Web site: Well youths make final cut for Munster Under 18s . . 25 February 2016 . 22 August 2011.
  4. Web site: The Future Is Bright: Rory Parata (Third year academy) . . 17 February 2016 . 25 September 2015 . 30 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150930115949/http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-rugby/the-future-is-bright-rory-parata-third-year-academy-31556115.html . live .
  5. Web site: Classy Crescent blow Rock away to collect 10th title . . 17 February 2016 . 19 March 2013 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222850/http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/classy-crescent-blow-rock-away-to-collect-10th-title-225898.html . live .
  6. Web site: Munster Under 18's Lose To Leinster . . 25 February 2016 . 1 October 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160302100611/http://www.munsterrugby.ie/domestic/news/5588.php#.Vs7hzn2LS1s . 2 March 2016 .
  7. Web site: Two new recruits to Connacht Academy . . 17 February 2016 . 24 October 2013 . 29 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160129001212/http://www.connachtrugby.ie/two-new-recruits-to-connacht-academy/#ConnachtNews . live .
  8. Web site: Eagles team for B&I Cup opener . . 17 February 2016 . 11 October 2013 .
  9. Web site: Leader gives Connacht Eagles the edge over Rotherham Titans . . 17 February 2016 . 20 October 2013 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303002814/http://www.irishtimes.com/leader-gives-connacht-eagles-the-edge-over-rotherham-titans-1.1567336 . live .
  10. Web site: Eagles 12 - 10 Llanelli . . 17 February 2016 . 18 January 2014 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303000922/http://www.connachtrugby.ie/eagles-12-10-llanelli/#ConnachtNews . live .
  11. Web site: Eagles' team to face Bedford Blues . . 17 February 2016 . 13 December 2013 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303005220/http://www.connachtrugby.ie/eagles-team-to-face-bedford-blues/#ConnachtNews . live .
  12. Web site: Rotherham Titans (59) vs Connacht (3) . . 17 February 2016 . 11 January 2014 . dead . https://archive.today/20140113191049/http://www.rotherhamrugby.co.uk/fixtures/192/rotherham-titans-vs-connacht/ . 13 January 2014 .
  13. Web site: Connacht Eagles 17 - 8 Bedford Blues . . 17 February 2016 . 7 December 2013 . 3 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303011106/http://www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-eagles-17-8-bedford-blues/#ConnachtNews . live .
  14. Web site: Scottish Gain Revenge On Connacht Eagles . . 17 February 2016 . 29 November 2014 . 5 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015251/http://www.irishrugby.ie/tournaments/33163.php . live .
  15. Web site: Connacht Eagles Show Character In Welsh Defeat . . 17 February 2016 . 6 December 2014 . 2 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160302091938/http://www.irishrugby.ie/tournaments/33250.php . live .
  16. Web site: Eagles 50 - 7 Germany . . 17 February 2016 . 24 January 2015 . 2 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160302235342/http://www.connachtrugby.ie/eagles-50-7-germany/#ConnachtNews . live .
  17. Web site: Connacht up and running as late Carr try slays visiting Dragons . . 17 February 2016 . 4 September 2015 . 21 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160221171505/http://www.the42.ie/connacht-dragons-report-2-2312906-Sep2015/ . live .
  18. Web site: Connacht brave sub-zero temperatures to secure bonus-point win in Siberia . . 25 February 2016 . 14 November 2015 . 2 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151202164136/http://www.the42.ie/connacht-enisei-stm-report-2444845-Nov2015/ . live .
  19. Web site: Connacht Academy Trio Are Promoted To Senior Contracts . . 17 February 2016 . 9 December 2015 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053251/http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/36411.php#.VpZ5xbaLS1s . live .
  20. Web site: Connacht release Parata and O'Leary as Loughney fate hangs in balance . . 13 April 2017 . 5 January 2018 . 6 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180106000724/https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/connacht-release-parata-and-oleary-as-loughney-fate-hangs-in-balance-35619145.html . live .
  21. Web site: Southern claim banner as season ends . . 29 July 2017 . 5 January 2018 . 17 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170817204906/https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/dunedin-premier-rugby/livestream-southern-v-harbour-premier-rugby-final . live .
  22. Web site: Ex-Connacht and Ireland U19 centre Parata signs for Bradley's Zebre . . 4 January 2018 . 5 January 2018 . 4 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180104215617/http://www.the42.ie/rory-parata-zebre-connacht-3781953-Jan2018/ . live .
  23. Web site: Eight Players To Join Connacht Academy Ranks . . 25 February 2016 . 12 June 2013 . In helping the Connacht Under-19s win the Interprovincial title, he was selected to represent Ireland in their two Under-19 Internationals against England and France in April. . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045736/http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/28136.php#.Vs7WyX2LS1s . live .
  24. Web site: Ireland Under-19s Edged Out By England . . 25 February 2016 . 3 April 2013 . 5 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305014246/http://www.irishrugby.ie/rugby/fixturesandresults/28370.php . live .
  25. Web site: Six Changes For Ireland Under-19s . . 25 February 2016 . 5 April 2013 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064344/http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/27489.php#.Vs7jin2LS1s . live .

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