Tupou Paea'i Okalani Vaa'i (born 27 January 2000) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a lock (and occasionally flanker) for the All Blacks at international level, the Chiefs in Super Rugby, and Taranaki in the Bunnings NPC.
Personal Information
- Full name: Tupou Paea'i Okalani Vaa'i
- Born: 27 January 2000 (age 26), Auckland, New Zealand
- Height: 198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
- Weight: 118 kg (260 lb)
- School: Wesley College
- Position: Lock, Flanker
Early Career
Vaa'i was born in New Zealand to a Tongan family. He played for the Wesley College first XV, serving as Head Prefect and captaining the team in his final year of school. He was selected to play for New Zealand at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championships.
Vaa'i debuted for Taranaki in the NPC as an 18-year-old against Auckland in 2018. His Chiefs debut came in 2020, when the team was short on locks due to season-ending injuries to Michael Allardice and Laghlan McWhannell. Although not originally contracted to the team at the start of 2020, he was promoted to a starting role following an injury to Naitoa Ah Kuoi.
International Career
In September 2020, Vaa'i was named in head coach Ian Foster's first All Blacks squad. He made his test debut for New Zealand on 11 October 2020, replacing Patrick Tuipulotu off the bench in the 75th minute of a 16–16 draw against Australia. With this appearance, Vaa'i became the first player born in the 21st century to represent New Zealand in international rugby.
The following week, he made his first start for the All Blacks, with New Zealand defeating Australia 27–7. He scored his debut test try in the 78th minute of Bledisloe IV later that season. Vaa'i ended the 2020 season having played four tests for his country.
In 2021, he became a regular starter for the Chiefs, playing in the Super Rugby Aotearoa final (lost to the Crusaders 13–24). He played three tests for New Zealand during the 2021 Rugby Championship, including a start against Argentina where he played all 80 minutes and scored two tries.
Career Statistics (as of 2025)
- All Blacks caps: 46
- All Blacks points: 25 (5 tries)
- Chiefs appearances: 74
- Chiefs points: 75 (15 tries)
- Taranaki appearances: 16
- Taranaki points: 20 (4 tries)
Notable Achievements
- First player born in the 2000s to represent the All Blacks
- Named in the North Island team for the 2020 North vs South match
- Signed a contract extension with New Zealand Rugby through 2025
