Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

New PBs and all-time records: Quinn Tupaea raises the bar after injury layoff

New Zealand's Quinn Tupaea trains during the captain's run at FMG Stadium in Hamilton on September 2, 2022, ahead of the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and Argentina. (Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images)

All Blacks and Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea is set to return from a disastrous knee injury looking bigger, better and stronger after raising the bar with some personal bests in pre-season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Tupaea, 24, is set to return to regular season action for the first time in a couple of years after suffering been struck down with the injury during a Bledisloe Cup test in 2022.

The rising star was struck down by an illegal cleanout from Australia lock Darcy Swain during the All Blacks’ stunning last-minute win over the Wallabies at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

But after a lengthy stint on the sidelines, and after playing in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship with Waikato last season, Tupaea is raring to go for the Chiefs.

Related

Tupaea has reportedly set some personal bests both in the gruelling fitness Bronco and in the weight room. The 14-Test All Black has broken the Chiefs midfielders’ all-time records for squats and pull-ups.

The returning New Zealand international, as reported by Stuff, also set the record for the midfielders’ bench press during his time on the sidelines. But Tupaea has remained coy about specific times and figures.

“I’m pretty excited to be back playing this year, it’s a lot different to last season,” Tupaea told Stuff. “I’m feeling pretty fit, and it’s been a hard, hot pre-season, so the body’s in a good spot and I’m ready to rip in.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’ve got a few records in there now, so I’m pretty happy,” he mentioned about the gym. “Nah, we’ll keep that under wraps.”

Tupaea has been named as one of four midfielders in the Chiefs’ squad for 2024 along with All Black Anton Lienert-Brown, Gideon Wrampling and Rameka Poihipi.

The Chiefs are coming off a largely successful pre-season which saw the Hamilton-based side win two matches from as many stats in Japan before returning to New Zealand.

But it all matters now with the regular season about to get underway. While Tupaea is in the frame to return against the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific season opener on Friday, the All Black said it’s “going to be a battle” just to start for the Chiefs.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Obviously pretty keen to be back in that All Blacks mix,” Tupaea said. “That’s a goal of mine and a place I want to get back to.

“But the midfield here’s pretty hotly contested, so it’s going to be a battle every week to start, and even be in the 23.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

Behind the Scenes with the Australian Rugby Sevens Team in Hong Kong | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 9

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Head high tackle 1 hour ago
Can Samoa and Tonga ever become contenders when their top talent is skimmed?

I think you have gone in the wrong direction here Nick. I think you need to delve down into the rules etc around Moana Pacifica’s selection policies and then you need to understand that a lot of KIWI BORN rugby players have PI heritage. It appears ok for the 4 home nations to pillage NZ born players constantly without retribution but you want to question whether NZ BORN players should be eligible for NZ? Seems a real agenda in there.

Go back and look at the actual Aims and agenda for MP becoming a entity and you see lots of things enshrined in policy that you arnt mentioning here. EG there is an allowance for a percentage of MP to be NZ eligible. This was done so MP could actually become competitive. Lets be real. If it wasnt this way then MP would not be competitive.

There also seems to be some sort of claim ( mainly from the NH ) that NZ is “cashing in” on MP, which , quite frankly is a major error. Are you aware of how much MP costs NZR Financially?

39 NZ born rugby players played at the last world cup for Samoa or Tonga. PLUS plenty for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.

Taumoefolau is a BORN AND BRED NZer. However I very strongly doubt he will be an AB, but who do you believe he should be allowed to play for? Levi Aumua is ALSO a born and bred Kiwi.

Aumua was eligible to represent Samoa and Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup in July that year but ended up playing for neither. He IS eligible for his nation of Birth too Nick

He is a Kiwi. Are you saying an NZ born, raised Kiwi cant play for NZ now?

Sorry Nick Kiwi born and bred actually qualify for NZ.

4 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Finn Russell apologises for role in incident that broke female rugby fan's wrist Finn Russell apologises for accidentally breaking female fan's wrist
Search