Matthew John Kenneth Te Pou (born

Waiouru Waiouru is a small town in the Ruapehu District, in New Zealand's Manawatū-Whanganui region. It is located on the south-eastern North Island Volcanic Plateau, north of Palmerston North and 25 kilometres south-east of Mount Ruapehu. The town ...

, on 27 August 1973) is a

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 ...

former rugby union player. He played for

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

. He is of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

descent. His father, also called Matt Te Pou, was a coach of the Maori All Blacks in 2005.

Career

Te Pou first played for

in 1998 against Australia, in Canberra on 22 September 1998. He was part of the 1999 Rugby World Cup 'Ikale Tahi squad coached by Polutele Tu'ihalamaka, playing two matches in the tournament against the

and

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 ...

. His last cap for Tonga was against Fiji in Nuku'alofa, on 7 June 2002. He played the

National Provincial Championship The National Provincial Championship may refer to: * National Provincial Championship (1976–2005), original competition before reform into 14 sides * National Provincial Championship (2006–present) The National Provincial Championship, o ...

for

Thames Valley The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...

King Country The King Country (Māori: ''Te Rohe Pōtae'' or ''Rohe Pōtae o Maniapoto'') is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of ...

, as well in the

Currie Cup The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...

, playing for the Gauteng Falcons.

Notes

External links

Matt Te Pou international statisticsMatthew John Kenneth Te Pou at New Zealand Rugby History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Te Pou, Matt 1973 births People from Waiouru Living people New Zealand Māori rugby union players New Zealand expatriates in South Africa New Zealand rugby union players Tonga international rugby union players Rugby union flankers 1999 Rugby World Cup players Thames Valley rugby union players King Country rugby union players Rugby union players from Manawatū-Whanganui