Akuila Uate (born 6 October 1987), also known by the
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
s of "Aku", and "Akuila the Thriller", is a former professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer who played on the . He was both a
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
and
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
international.
He played for the
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
, where he is the highest try-scorer in their history, as well as the
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
in the
NRL
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
, and later the
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are an English professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, the birthplace of rugby league, who play in the Super League competition. They play their home games at the John Smiths Stadium which is sh ...
in the
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
.
A three time Dally M Winger of the Year, he represented
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
in
State of Origin
A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco Oval ...
. He also represented the
Prime Minister's XIII
Prime Minister's XIII, or sometimes informally referred to as the PM's XIII, is the name of a representative rugby league team, comprising Australian players from National Rugby League clubs that did not qualify for the NRL Finals, or whose tea ...
,
NRL All Stars,
Country NSW and the
World All Stars
The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Aus ...
team.
Background
Uate was born in
Votua, in the Province of
Nadroga-Navosa,
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. He moved to
Woy Woy, New South Wales
Woy Woy is a coastal town in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney. It is a population centre within the local government area.
Woy Woy is located in the n ...
, Australia, in 2003.
He played his junior football for the Woy Woy Roosters in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
before being signed by the
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
. As a junior, Uate came 3rd in the underage Australian sprinting finals. Uate was tipped as a future superstar by Knights legend,
Andrew Johns
Andrew Gary Johns (born 19 May 1974) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in rugby league history. Johns captained the Newcas ...
. Johns said about Uate, ''"In all my years in rugby league I've never seen a better athlete than this bloke."'' He was also described by the talent scout who spotted him as ''"the next
Lote Tuqiri
Lote Daulako Tuqiri (born 23 September 1979) is a former professional dual-code rugby footballer who primarily played as a winger across both codes. He represented Australia in both rugby league and rugby union, and Fiji in rugby league. Tuqi ...
"''. Uate played for the Knights'
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
and
Jersey Flegg
Harry "Jersey" Flegg (6 April 1878 in Bolton, Lancashire23 August 1960 in North Sydney, New South Wales) was an English-Australian rugby league identity. Both a player and administrator, he was a leading figure in the birth of the sport in Aus ...
teams in 2006. Uate scored a try in the 2006 Jersey Flegg Grand Final 22–20 defeat by the
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrith ...
Jersey Flegg side. While attending
Brisbane Waters Senior College
Brisbane Water Secondary College is a dual-campus government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The College's Middle School campus is located in Umina Beach, ...
, Uate played for the
Australian schoolboys
The Australian Schoolboys refer to junior teams that represent Australia in various sports. The name is mainly used in rugby league, rugby union and baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players ...
in 2005. On 7 October 2006, Uate represented
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
in the
2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying match against the
Cook Islands
)
, image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, capital = Avarua
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Avarua
, official_languages =
, lan ...
, playing at and scoring a try in the 40–4 win at
Penrith Stadium
Penrith Stadium (known commercially as BlueBet Stadium) is a rugby league and association football stadium located in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
The 22,500 capacity venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthers who play in the N ...
.
Playing career
![Akuila Uate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Akuila_Uate.jpg)
2008
In Round 19 of the
2008 NRL season
The 2008 NRL season was the 101st season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the eleventh run by the National Rugby League. For the second year, National Rugby League teams, sixteen teams competed for the 2008 Telstr ...
, Uate made his
NRL
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
debut for the
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, th ...
against the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
at and scored a try in the Knights 16–13 loss at
Remondis Stadium
Endeavour Field (also known by its commercial name PointsBet Stadium and colloquially as Shark Park during Cronulla Sharks matches) is a rugby league stadium in the southern Sydney suburb of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia. It is the ho ...
. Uate finished his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 4 matches and scoring 3 tries for the Knights in the 2008 season. Uate played in the
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 tournament. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final b ...
for
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. Uate was considered one of the tournament's 'Players to Watch' by NRL Live pre-tournament and went on to score 5 tries in 4 matches, including a hat trick against
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in Fiji's 42–6 win at
WIN Stadium
Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawa ...
. He also led the competition for line-breaks as Fiji made it to the semi-finals of the tournament.
2009
In June 2009, Uate re-signed with the Knights on a 4-year contract. Uate finished the
2009 NRL season
The 2009 NRL season was the 102nd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the twelfth run by the National Rugby League. For the third consecutive year, sixteen teams competed for the 2009 Telstra Premiership ...
with him playing in 17 matches and scoring 8 tries for the Knights.
2010
In 2010, Uate started the season on the right wing due to regular right winger
James McManus
}
James "Jim" McManus (born March 22, 1951) is an American teacher, writer and poker player living in Kenilworth, Illinois. He is a professor in the Master of Fine Arts program for writers at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Poker and ''Positi ...
being injured. His form throughout the season kept McManus out of the right wing position. In Round 10 against the
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby league, Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won ...
, Uate scored one of the best tries of the 2010 season, when he caught the ball from the Knights kick-off after conceding a try to the Roosters beforehand. Uate beat numerous defenders to score the try in the Knights 34–18 win at
Central Coast Stadium
Central Coast Stadium (known originally as Grahame Park), known commercially as Industree Group Stadium is a sports venue in Gosford, on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The stadium is home to ...
. On 7 September 2010, at the
2010 Dally M awards, Uate won the Winger of the Year award as well as taking out the top try-scoring player award with 21 tries to his name in 24 matches. On 26 September 2010, Uate was selected in the Australian
Prime Minister's XIII
Prime Minister's XIII, or sometimes informally referred to as the PM's XIII, is the name of a representative rugby league team, comprising Australian players from National Rugby League clubs that did not qualify for the NRL Finals, or whose tea ...
team to take on
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
, Uate scored a try in the 30–18 win in
Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
.
2011
On 13 February 2011, Uate was chosen to play for the
NRL All Stars on the wing and scored a try in the 28–12 victory over the
Indigenous All Stars at
Cbus Super Stadium
Robina Stadium, also known by its sponsored name Cbus Super Stadium, is a rectangular football stadium in the Gold Coast suburb of Robina, Queensland. The main usage is as the home ground to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans; t ...
. In May 2011, Uate was selected for the
NSW Country Origin
The Country New South Wales rugby league team is a representative rugby league football team. Between 1987 and 2017 there were two tiers: the Origin team that consisted of professional players who originated from clubs of the Country Rugby Leag ...
team in the annual
City vs Country Origin
City vs Country Origin was an annual Australian rugby league football match that took place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represented the Sydney metropolitan area. While technically it was Sydne ...
match on the wing and scored the winning try for Country in the 18–12 win at
Lavington Sports Ground
Lavington Sports Ground (known as "Lavington Panthers Oval" between 2001 and 2009) is a sports ground located in the suburb of Hamilton Valley near Lavington on the north-west fringe of the city of Albury, Australia. The oval is nestled in ...
in
Albury, New South Wales
Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the C ...
. In May 2011, Uate was selected for
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
in Game 1 of the
2011 State of Origin series
The 2011 State of Origin series was the 30th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams contested under "State of Origin" selection rules. For the third s ...
, making his debut on the wing in the Blues 16–12 loss at
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
. Uate played all 3 games of the series and scored a try in the 3rd game in the Blues 34–24 loss at Suncorp Stadium. In Round 26 against the
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen pla ...
, Uate scored four tries in the Knights 40–24 win at
Hunter Stadium
Newcastle International Sports Centre, known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights (National Rugby League) and Newca ...
. On 6 September 2011, at the
2011 Dally M awards, Uate won the Winger of the Year for the 2nd time in a row. Uate finished the season as the highest try-scoring winger with 20 tries in 23 matches and lead the NRL in tackle-breaks. On 16 October 2011, Uate made his debut for
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
on the wing in a stand-alone test match against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
held at Uate's home stadium, Hunter Stadium, scoring the first 2 tries of the match in the Kangaroos 42–6 win. In October and November 2011, Uate played for Australia in the
2011 Four Nations
The 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament (also known as the 2011 Gillette Rugby League Four Nations due to sponsorship by Gillette) was the third staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England and Wales during O ...
tournament, playing in 4 matches and scoring a try. Uate finished off the 2011 season by winning the RLPA Players' Player of the Year Award. On 3 November 2011, Uate won the RLIF's International Winger of the Year Award beating the likes of
Jason Nightingale
Jason Nightingale (born 20 September 1986) is a former New Zealand international rugby league footballer who played as a er and for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.
He primarily played on the wing and as a fullback, but off the ...
and
Jharal Yow Yeh
Jharal Yow Yeh (born 22 December 1989) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative or , he also played ...
.
2012
On 20 April 2012, Uate played for Australia in the
2012 ANZAC Test against New Zealand on the wing in the Kangaroos 20–12 win at
Eden Park
Eden Park is New Zealand's largest sports stadium, with a capacity of 50,000. Located in central Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, it is three kilometres southwest of the CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and King ...
. In May 2012, Uate was selected for New South Wales in Game 1 of the
2012 State of Origin series
The 2012 State of Origin series was the 31st time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. For the fourth successive year a Queensland victor ...
. Uate scored the opening try of the series in the Blues 18–10 loss at
Etihad Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., with a domestic football capacity of 53,400, making it the 6th-largest ...
. Uate was later dropped for Game 3. On 4 September 2012, at the
2012 Dally M Awards, Uate was named the Winger of the Year for the 3rd consecutive season. Uate played 22 matches was the Newcastle Knights highest tryscorer of the
2012 NRL season
The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
with 18 tries. On 23 September 2012, Uate was selected for the
Prime Minister's XIII
Prime Minister's XIII, or sometimes informally referred to as the PM's XIII, is the name of a representative rugby league team, comprising Australian players from National Rugby League clubs that did not qualify for the NRL Finals, or whose tea ...
team again with him scoring the last try of the game in the 24–18 victory over Papua New Guinea in
Port Moresby
(; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...
.
2013
On 13 February 2013, Uate was chosen to play for the
NRL All Stars team
The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Au ...
on the wing in the 32–6 loss over the
Indigenous All Stars at
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...
.
![Sisa Waqa, Aku Uate & Marika Koroibete](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Sisa_Waqa%2C_Aku_Uate_%26_Marika_Koroibete.jpg)
On 6 March 2013, after speculation that Uate was going to sign with a
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
club, he re-signed with the Knights on a 4-year contract to the end of the 2017 season. On 3 May 2011, Uate was selected for the
NSW Country Origin
The Country New South Wales rugby league team is a representative rugby league football team. Between 1987 and 2017 there were two tiers: the Origin team that consisted of professional players who originated from clubs of the Country Rugby Leag ...
in the annual
City vs Country Origin
City vs Country Origin was an annual Australian rugby league football match that took place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represented the Sydney metropolitan area. While technically it was Sydne ...
match on the wing and scored a try in the 18–12 win in
Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...
. In Round 11 against the
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
, Uate played his 100th NRL career match for the Newcastle Knights in the 28–12 loss at
Mt Smart Stadium
Mount Smart Stadium (formerly known as Ericsson Stadium) is a multipurpose stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the main home ground of the New Zealand Warriors of the National Rugby League, and occasionally hosts rugby union and internatio ...
. Uate finished the
2013 NRL season
The 2013 NRL season was the 106th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia. The National Rugby League's main competition, named the 2013 Telstra Premiership after major sponsors Telstra Corporation, was contested by sixte ...
having played in 24 matches and scoring 15 tries for the Newcastle Knights. In October 2013, Uate switched back his international eligibility to his native Fiji and he was named in their squad for the
2013 Rugby League World Cup
The 2013 Rugby League World Cup was the fourteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and took place in England, Wales, France and Ireland. between 26 October and 30 November 2013.
It was the main event of the year's 2013 Festival of World ...
. Uate played in 4 matches and scored 3 tries, all scored against
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in Fiji's 32–14 win at
Spotland Stadium
Spotland Stadium, known as the Crown Oil Arena for sponsorship reasons, in the Spotland area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is home to Rochdale A.F.C. and Rochdale Hornets R.F.L.C. and has a capacity of 10,249.
History
Spotland was origina ...
.
2014
In February 2014, Uate was selected in the Newcastle Knights inaugural
2014 Auckland Nines squad. In Round 13 against the
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional Rugby league, rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a j ...
, Uate broke
Timana Tahu
Timana James Aporo Tahu (born 16 October 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He last played for Denver Stampede in the US PRO Rugby competition. A dual-code international representative three-qua ...
's record for most tries scored for the Newcastle Knights. Uate became the Knights highest tryscorer ever with 93 tries, scoring a hat trick in the 23–20 loss at
Hunter Stadium
Newcastle International Sports Centre, known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knights (National Rugby League) and Newca ...
. In Round 22 against the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are a rugby league club based in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia that participates in the National Rugby League. The first fully professional rugby league team based in the state, the Storm entered the competition in 1998. ...
, Uate scored a try in the corner win the match for the Knights after overcoming a 30–20 deficit with 2 minutes to go, with later
Kurt Gidley
Kurt Geoffrey Gidley (born 7 June 1982) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. An Australia international and New South Wales State of Origin representative an ...
kicking the winning goal resulting with the Knights 32-30 winners at Hunter Stadium. Uate finished off the
2014 NRL season
The 2014 NRL season was the 107th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 17th season of the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand. The season started in New Zealand, for the Auckland Nines, replacing the Rugby Leagu ...
with him being the Knights highest tryscorer with 12 tries in 15 matches.
2015
In Round 6 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Uate scored his 100th NRL career try in the Knights' 22–6 loss at Remondis Stadium. On 3 May, he played for New South Wales Country against New South Wales City in the 2015 City vs Country Origin match, playing on the wing and scoring a try in Country's 34–22 win at
Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...
. In Round 25 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, he played his 150th NRL match in the Knights' 20–18 loss at Hunter Stadium. He finished off the
2015 season as the Knights' highest try-scorer with 12 tries in 22 matches as the club finished last.
2016
In February, Uate played for the Knights in the
2016 NRL Auckland Nines
The 2016 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Downer NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the third NRL Auckland Nines competition. It was held on 6–7 February 2016 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. As with previous tournaments, it was ...
. On 7 May, he played for Fiji against Papua New Guinea in the
2016 Melanesian Cup. After round 12 against the
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League.
The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
, he was demoted to the Knights'
Intrust Super Premiership NSW
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserv ...
team where he failed to break in the Knights' top 17 for the rest of the season. He finished the
2016 season having played in 10 matches and scoring 1 try. In October, he was released from the final year of his Knights contract to sign a 2-year contract with the
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
starting in 2017.
2017
In round 1 of
2017 season, Uate made his debut for the Sea Eagles in their 12–20 loss at
Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval (also known by the commercial sponsorship name 4 Pines Park) is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Northern Beaches Council and is primarily used by th ...
against the Parramatta Eels. He played 24 matches and scored 14 tries. Uate was selected in the Fiji 24-man squad for the
2017 Rugby League World Cup
The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams ...
. On 5 November against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, he used his speed and foot work to beat a handful of Wales players, before pushing a one-handed passed around the back of the last defender, finding his winger
Marcelo Montoya
Marcelo Eduardo Montoya Jr (born 17 February 1996) is a Fijian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL and Fiji at international level.
He previously played for the Canterbury-Bankst ...
, who dived over for a try. Uate was awarded the man of a match award as Fiji won 72–6 win at
1300SMILES Stadium
The Willows Sports Complex, currently known as 1300SMILES Stadium through Naming rights, sponsorship, is a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It has been a predominantly rugby league ground as the home ground o ...
. He played 5 matches and scored 1 try in the tournament.
2018
In June, Uate signed a 3-year contract with
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
side
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are an English professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, the birthplace of rugby league, who play in the Super League competition. They play their home games at the John Smiths Stadium which is sh ...
, starting in 2019.
2020
In November, Uate announced his retirement from the game.
References
External links
Huddersfield Giants profileManly Sea Eagles profileNRL profileUate extends deal with NewcastleAustralian Secondary Schools Rugby LeagueAkuila Uate named RLPA player of year2017 RLWC profileSL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uate, Akuila
1987 births
Living people
Australia national rugby league team players
Cessnock Goannas players
Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players
Fiji national rugby league team players
Fijian emigrants to Australia
Fijian rugby league players
Huddersfield Giants players
I-Taukei Fijian people
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players
New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players
Newcastle Knights players
NRL All Stars players
People from Nadroga-Navosa Province
Prime Minister's XIII players
Rugby league wingers