Joe Vagana
Vagana playing for Bradford in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Sonny Vagana
Nickname	Big Joe
Born	21 January 1975 (1975-01-21) (age 34)
	Aukland, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	130 kg (20 st 7 lb)
Position	Prop
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1995–2000	Auckland	115	9	0	0	36
2001–2008	Bradford	220	17	0	0	68
	Total	335	26	0	0	104
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1995	Samoa	2	0	0	0	0
1996–2006	New Zealand	27	0	0	0	0
Source: Rugby League Project

Joe Vagana (born 21 January 1975 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. During his career Vagana played for the Auckland Warriors and the Bradford Bulls and also represented both Samoa and New Zealand in international competition. His position of preference was at Prop forward.

Joe is also the cousin of fellow rugby league international Nigel Vagana and the New Zealand netballer Linda Vagana.

[edit] Early Years

A St Pauls College student, Joe started playing rugby league for the Richmond Rovers club in the Auckland Rugby League competition. In 1993 he played 9 games for Auckland.^[1] He then played for the successful North Harbour Sea Eagles in the 1994 Lion Red Cup.

[edit] Auckland Warriors

In 1995 Joe was signed by the Auckland Warriors as they prepared for their début season in the Australian Rugby League. He made his début for the club on 18 March 1995 in the Warriors second ever premiership match. He went on to play 116 games for the Warriors, leaving the club when Eric Watson bought the franchise, but not the player contracts, in 2000.

[edit] Bradford Bulls

Despite competition from other Super League and Australian clubs, Vagana signed for the Bradford Bulls in 2001. Vagana became one part of the Bulls Awesome Foursome a phrase coined by the media, alongside Stuart Fielden, Brian McDermott and Paul Anderson.

A destructive tackler and strong runner with the ability to off load the ball. Vagana rarely missed a game for the Bulls and became one of the most popular players at the club, writing a weekly column for several Bradford newspapers and the Bulls Website.

In 2006 Joe was awarded the Bulls Clubman of the Year Award. Vagana signed a 1 year extension on the 18 August 2006 to keep him at the Bulls for the 2007 season.

In June 2007 Vagana signed another one-year contract with Bradford, signalling his intent to play out the 2008 season.

Vagana was sent off for the first time in his Bulls career against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on 5 August 2007.

In August 2007 he was named in Bradford's team of the Century.

Whilst playing for Bradford against Wigan in 2008 Joe broke his arm attempting to tackle Stuart Fielden.

Joe retired at the end of 2008 season after 8 years with the Bulls.^[2][3][4]

In 2009 he is coaching the East Coast Bays Barracudas alongside Willie Swann.

[edit] International

Vagana played for the Junior Kiwis for three seasons, between 1992 and 1994.

In 1995 Joe represented Western Samoa in the World Cup

Vagana also played 25 times for the New Zealand Kiwis, including playing in the 2000 World Cup. After a long absence he was called up by New Zealand for their game against Great Britain in 2006 but did not play in the match.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Richmond Rovers profile
• Joe Vagana bio at rugbyleague.co.nz
• Joe Vagana Super League Player Stats
• Joe Vagana news index at rleague.com
• Bull Masters - Joe Vagana
• Team Of The Century