Cooper Vuna

Wing

Profile
Height:	182 cm
Weight:	101 kg
Date Of Birth:	05/07/1987
Place of Birth:	Auckland, New Zealand

Rugby Career
Senior Club:	NZ Warriors and Newcastle Knights

Stats
Super Rugby Caps:	15
Super Rugby Points:	20 (4t)
Super Rugby Debut:	vs. Waratahs - for RaboDirect Rebels (Round 1, 2011)

Exciting outside back, Cooper Vuna, was one of the stars of the RaboDirect Rebels’ debut season. He finished 2011 as the club’s top try scorer, touching down four times, in a year in which he competed in 15 of the Rebels’ 16 Super Rugby fixtures.

Cooper’s five-pointer against the Hurricanes in round six was named the club’s Try of the Year at the post-season awards ceremony. After a series of attacking phases the ball was thrown wide to the clinical finisher who forced his way over the line, accompanied by three despairing tacklers.

The 24-year old joined the Rebels from NRL side Newcastle Knights. A crowd favourite in NSW, Cooper switched codes in 2010 to return to the game of his childhood. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Cooper grew up playing Rugby Union but was scouted by the New Zealand Warriors NRL side as a teenager. So prodigious was his early talent, Cooper debuted for the Warriors aged just 17.

A move to Newcastle in 2007 proved successful, with the powerful winger making 54 appearances for the Knights and scoring 35 tries. During this period Cooper trained with the New Zealand national rugby league squad but opted instead to represent Tonga at the 2008 World Cup, where he scored three tries.

Although he has represented Tonga in rugby league, and his father, John, is a former Tongan Rugby Union international, Cooper is committed to representing the Wallabies if the opportunity arises.

Away from rugby, Cooper is a part-time DJ.