Janai Haupapa

Janai Haupapa (born 14 March 1996) is a women's rugby union and rugby league footballer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[1] She plays for the Canada women's national rugby league team and has played for the Canada women's national rugby union team's development side as a centre.[2][3]

History

Haupapa plays rugby union for Calgary Rams RFC.[4] In 2015, she was called up to the Canada women's national rugby union development team for their tour of England and made her debut playing in the second row at Molesey Road in Hersham.[2][5]

In 2017, Haupapa switched codes to rugby league in order to join up with Canada's first ever women's national rugby league squad in time for the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup.[3] She along with the majority of the team were rugby union players with only one having played rugby league prior and Haupapa was still a member of Calgary Rams RFC at the time.[4][3] However during the tournament where she made her international rugby league debut, she was accused of biting the Australia women's national rugby league team captain Renae Kunst.[6] Despite support from Canada's coach Mike Castle,[7] Haupapa plead guilty to the charge and received a two match ban which meant that she missed Canada's semi-final match[8] and the rest of the tournament.[9] This was the fourth allegation of biting that had been levied at a player during the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup with the England women's national rugby league team and the Papua New Guinea women's national rugby league team players also being accused of biting.[10]

References
  1. "Janai Haupapa". Canada RLA. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  2. Maple Leafs ready for second England match (2015-12-04). "Maple Leafs ready for second England match". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  3. Patrick Johnston (2017-09-20). "Canada gets its first-ever national women's rugby league squad". The Province. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  4. "Congratulations to CRU Women". CRU. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  5. "England & Canadian development sides named". Scrum Queens. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  6. "Canada biting allegations mar record Jillaroos win". Sydney Morning Herald. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  7. "Canada's Haupapa accepts Cup biting ban". SBS. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  8. Last Updated: 23/11/17 6:51am. "Canada's Janai Haupapa given two-match ban for biting". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  9. "Canadian women's rugby league player banned for biting Australian rival". Stuff.co.nz. 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  10. "Canada's Haupapa to miss World Cup semi-final after bite admission". Times and Star. Retrieved 2017-11-27.


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