Junior Roqica
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Vitale Junior Roqica[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 February 1991 Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 17 st 5 lb (110 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 10 November 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vitale Junior Roqica (born 13 February 1991) is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop or second-row forward.
He played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL and the London Broncos in the Championship, and was contracted to the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League.
Early life
[edit]Roqica was born in Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia and is of Fijian descent.[2][5] He played his junior football for the Concord Burwood Wolves and Holy Cross Rhinos, while participating in the Balmain Tigers development program before being signed by the Wests Tigers.
Playing career
[edit]Wests Tigers
[edit]Roqica played for the Wests Tigers' NYC team from 2008 to 2011.[6]
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
[edit]In 2012, Roqica joined the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
He failed to play a game in the NRL for Canterbury-Bankstown, but featured in their NSW Cup side.[7]
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
[edit]In 2013, Roqica joined the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
In Round 11 of the 2014 NRL season, Roqica made his NRL début for Cronulla-Sutherland against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.[8]
Whilst contracted to Cronulla-Sutherland, Roqica spent most of playing time on the field for the Newtown club, playing in the NSW Cup and the rebranded Intrust Super Premiership NSW.[9]
London Broncos
[edit]Roqica joined London ahead of the 2017 Super League season.[10]
Representative career
[edit]Roqica played for the New South Wales Catholic Colleges team when he was 17.[11]
In 2009, Roqica played for the Australian schoolboys.[12]
In 2013, Roqica was named in the Fiji squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He made his international début against Ireland.[13] He scored the decisive try in Fiji's quarter-final victory over Samoa.
In May 2014, Roqica played for Fiji in the 2014 Pacific Rugby League International.
On 7 May 2016, Roqica played for Fiji against Papua New Guinea in the 2016 Melanesian Cup.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rugby League World Cup 2013". Rlwc2013.com. 13 February 1991. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Junior Roqica player results, scores, news and statistics". Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "Junior Roqica – Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project.
- ^ loverugbyleague
- ^ Kumar, Rashneel (13 October 2008). "Young Roqica, the new name in league". Fiji Times. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012.
- ^ "Junior Roqica player results, scores, news and statistics". Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- ^ "Pritchard Returns for Trip Over Tasman". Bulldogs. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Updated Team Lists: Round 11". National Rugby League. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "Newtown Jets continue to contribute to top-level Rugby League representative ranks". Newtown Jets. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Broncos sign Cronulla Sharks' Junior Roqica". Zero Tackle. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ Chris Karas (23 July 2008). "Sports News". Weekly Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ "Junior Roqica". weststigers.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ "Civoniceva, Wes Naiqama to lead Fiji Bati". Fijilive.com. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "PNG stuns Fiji in a thriller". National Rugby League. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
External links
[edit]
- 1991 births
- Living people
- Australian people of I-Taukei Fijian descent
- Australian rugby league players
- Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers players
- Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players
- Fiji national rugby league team players
- Fiji Prime Minister's XIII players
- Lakes United Seagulls players
- London Broncos players
- Rugby league players from Sydney
- Rugby league props
- Rugby league second-rows
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen