Billy Weepu

Billy Weepu is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who played for the Manly Sea Eagles in the NRL, and is now a news camera operator.

Billy Weepu
Personal information
BornWellington, New Zealand
Playing information
Weight130 kg (20 st 7 lb)
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Wainuiomata Lions
1995–97 Manly Sea Eagles 13 0 0 0 0
Total 13 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2000 New Zealand Māori
Source: [1]

He is the brother of rugby union player Piri Weepu.[2]

Playing career

Early years

Weepu started his career with the Wainuiomata Lions in the Wellington Rugby League competition.[3]

Manly Sea Eagles

He was then scouted by Manly and joined the club in 1994. He went on to play 13 first grade games for the club in 1995 and 1997 as well as becoming a regular in reserve grade.

He was regarded as one of the heaviest players to play in the Australian competition.[4]

Return to New Zealand

Weepu played for both Wellington and Taranaki in the 1999 National Provincial Competition, becoming the subject of a NZRL appeal.[5] Along with fellow Wellington prop, Tino Brown, Weepu was later ruled ineligible to play for the Taranaki Sharks.

With the start of the Bartercard Cup in 2000 Weepu was part of the Wainuiomata Lions side that participated in the first two seasons.

In 2002, with the demise of the Lions, he moved to the Central Falcons.[6]

Representative career

Weepu was selected for the Junior Kiwis in 1994.[7]

In 2000 Weepu represented New Zealand Māori.[8]

In 2015 Weepu played for the New Zealand Parliamentary rugby team that played in the United Kingdom for Parliamentary World Cup.

Later years

Weepu worked as a Camera operator for TV3's Campbell Live until 2015. He previously worked on 60 Minutes.[2] He remains with Newshub as of 2020.

References
  1. RLP
  2. Watch it and Weepu Sydney Morning Herald, 12 August 2005
  3. "Laban rewarded for hard work". The Dominion Post. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  4. Sport's big show proves fat is phat The Daily Telegraph, 10 June 2009
  5. Canterbury to protest Taranaki win Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1999
  6. Tornadoes' storming run The Evening Standard, 27 May 2002
  7. Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1994. p.154
  8. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 313. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
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