Heimanu Philippe Taiarui (born 24 August 1986) is a
beach soccer and
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player from
French Polynesia who plays as a
defender. He has appeared at six editions of the
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup representing the
Tahitian national team, finishing as a runner-up twice (
2015 and
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
); at the former, he won the Golden Ball (best player) award.
Early life
Taiarui was born in
Papeete.
His father is from
Mahina and his mother is from
Papara;
Taiarui grew up in the latter.
He comes from a sporting family; both his parents played
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
, with his mother having been the captain of the
Tahitian women's team.
His sister has also made appearances for the women's national team.
Thus, Taiarui naturally found himself also engaged with football.
As a youth, along with football, Taiarui also frequently indulged in his passions for
triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...
,
surfing (competing in competitions alongside
Michel Bourez) and
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...
,
a sport in which he "excelled".
However his parents were not enthused with him pursuing these sport's seriously. His mother's persistence ultimately gave him the "bug" for football and he joined the junior teams of
A.S. Manu-Ura.
At 14, he went to play in a youth tournament in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and was shown interest by
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
and
Nantes, but he quickly returned to Tahiti due to the lack of any family there.
Career
Whilst Taiarui played football on the beaches casually with friends,
using sticks and slippers as goalposts,
his journey into organised beach soccer only began in 2011. The
Tahitian Football Federation
The Tahitian Football Federation (french: Fédération tahitienne de football) is the governing body of football in French Polynesia. The Tahiti's men national football team is after Australia and New Zealand the 3rd most successful nation repr ...
(FTF) was holding trials in view of the
2011 OFC Beach Soccer Championship, the Oceanian qualifying event for the
2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
The 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was the sixth edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, governed by FIFA. Overall, this was the 16th edition of a world cup in beach soccer since the establishment of the ''Beach Soccer World Championships'' ...
, and Taiarui decided to participate. He impressed Swiss coach
Angelo Schirinzi who was in attendance. Schirinzi offered him the chance to play with his club in
Switzerland for a few months, which Taiarui accepted.
He "loved" the experience, and was ultimately part of the Tahiti squad at said qualifiers and in their first appearance at the World Cup in September.
Schirinzi began inviting Taiarui to play in the Swiss National League each year.
At the
2013 World Cup, hosted in Tahiti itself, Taiarui was labelled a "darling" and "touch
dhearts" with the home crowd,
playing a crucial role in Tahiti's historic semi-final run, leading the
Haka
Haka (; plural ''haka'', in both Māori and English) are a variety of ceremonial performance art in Māori culture. It is often performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted or chanted accompani ...
before each match;
albeit on one occasion, he jumped over the hoardings to celebrate with the crowd after a goal, resulting in a yellow card and a suspension.
Meanwhile, Taiarui continued to play football in Tahiti, moving from his boyhood club of Manu-Ura to
A.S. Pirae
Association Sportive Pirae is a football club from Pirae in Tahiti. They are one of the most successful teams in Tahiti having won the Tahiti Division Fédérale nine times. They are also the first French Polynesian team to have reached the fi ...
in 2014, making appearances in the
OFC Champions League
The OFC Champions League, also known as the O-League, is the premier men's club soccer competition in Oceania. It is organised by the OFC, Oceania's football governing body. Beginning as the Oceania Club Championship (1987–2006), it has been ...
.
In 2015, Taiarui's career and fame exploded. Tahiti made the
2015 World Cup final, and his performances earned him the Golden Ball (best player).
He was in such a state of disbelief at winning the award, that he needed great encouragement to step forward and receive it.
Taiarui was then voted as one of the world's best three players at the 2015
Beach Soccer Stars
Beach Soccer Stars is an annual award ceremony in beach soccer organised by the sport's developmental body, Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW).
The first edition was held on 7 November 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The ceremony has continued t ...
awards ceremony and was named as part of the world dream team for that year. As a result of the Golden Ball, he suddenly found himself being recognsied on the streets of
Papeete and being stopped for autographs.
He also started receiving offers to play for beach soccer clubs across the globe and subsequently had spells with teams in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
and
Japan over the next two years, achieving
semi-pro status.
Despite the award elevating his beach soccer career, he also admits it came with a lot of pressure to prove that he "didn’t just get it by mistake", and that it sometimes felt like a burden.
Soon after the
2017 World Cup, in which Tahiti reached the final once again, Taiarui moved to Switzerland permanently, allowing him to compete in European beach soccer leagues with more ease.
After a short time, Taiarui moved just over the border into
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and took a place at a club in the
lower leagues of French football to maintain his fitness when not competing in beach soccer.
In 2019, the magazine
France Football
''France Football'' is a French weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It is considered to be one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of its photographic reports, in-depth and exclusi ...
(who award the
Ballon D'or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Pl ...
in football) placed Taiarui seventh in an article named "10 Legends of Beach Soccer".
His eligibility for such a prestigious list was, however, questioned. At the
2021 World Cup, Taiarui picked up an injury in Tahiti's second match against
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, meaning he was unable to make any meaningful contribution in the competition any further.
Style of play
Taiarui has been described as a "great
craftsmen
Craftsman may refer to:
A profession
*Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative
* Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take ...
" of the recent game
and an "all-round player",
having a good sense of positioning and an ability for link-up play. His aerial skills and long range shots are also noted, as well as his adherence to
fair play principles.
Personal life
Taiarui is known by the nickname "Metal", bestowed upon him due to being perceived as a "hard-man".
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached Spanish club Real Madrid and is one of the mos ...
was his boyhood football idol.
Aged 20, Taiarui decided to become a fisherman,
having been inspired by outings with his grandmother and father when he was younger.
He eventually became an owner of his own
poti marara (Polynesian fishing boat).
He has a genuine love for fishing, particularly enjoying the tranquillity and solitude of the open ocean.
In 2016, he was involved in helping to revive a woman who had suffered a
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and poss ...
in a train station in Switzerland. He was again involved in a life-saving incident later that year, responsible for rescuing two people who had been lost at sea near Tahiti for seven days, having come across them whilst out finishing on his boat.
In 2017, Taiarui left angling behind as he moved to
Delémont
Delémont (; fc, D'lémont; german: Delsberg, ) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 12,000 inhabitants .
History
The area of the municipality was already settled in the middle Bronze Age. Fifteen urn buria ...
,
Switzerland due to more compatible job opportunities with his European beach soccer career, taking a job as a welder in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
. Feeling claustrophobic, he moved to the nearby
Sundgau region of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in 2019; as of then, he lives there with his partner, three children and eight dogs.
He occasionally returns to Tahiti to see family and meet up with the national squad.
Statistics
Honours
''As of July 2021''
In October 2013 he was appointed a knight of the
Order of Tahiti Nui.
The following is a selection, not an exhaustive list, of the major international honours Taiarui has achieved:
Team
*
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
**Runner-up (2):
2015,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
*
Intercontinental Cup
**Runner-up (1):
2015
*
OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup
**Winner (2):
2011,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
Individual
*FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (1):
**Golden Ball: 2015
*
Beach Soccer Stars
Beach Soccer Stars is an annual award ceremony in beach soccer organised by the sport's developmental body, Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW).
The first edition was held on 7 November 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The ceremony has continued t ...
(4):
**World's top 3 best players: 2015
**World dream team: 2015
**World's top 50 best players: 2018, 2019
*OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup (1):
**Best player: 2019
References
External links
Heimanu Taiarui profile at Beach Soccer Worldwide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taiarui, Heimanu
1986 births
Living people
French Polynesian footballers
Tahitian beach soccer players
Association football defenders
A.S. Pirae players
Expatriate footballers in Switzerland
Expatriate footballers in France
Recipients of the Order of Tahiti Nui