Setaimata Sa


Setaimata Sa is a professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Mackay Cutters in the Intrust Super Cup.

Background

Sa was born in Samoa.

Rugby league career

His junior club was Shirley before he was poached by the Papanui Tigers as a 9 year old in the Canterbury Rugby League competition.
Sa was previously a part of the Sydney Roosters before his bad behaviour had cost him his contract at the club. He has also represented Samoa on 5 occasions scoring 4 tries. In 2006 he was selected for the New Zealand Tri-Nations squad but was not selected for any of the matches in the series. In 2007 he was in running to be selected for New Zealand again but missed out through injury along with Kiwi international and Sydney Roosters teammate Iosia Soliola. Sa was a member of the World Cup winning New Zealand team beating Australia in the 2008 World Cup Final at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
He was called up for the 2008 ANZAC day test at the SCG.
He is eligible to represent Samoa.
FG debut: Round 7 2006 v. St George Illawarra Dragons
Samoan National team
New Zealand Tri-Nations squad
In August 2008, Sa was named in the New Zealand training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and in October 2008, he was named in the final 24-man Kiwi squad.
On 30 August 2009, Setaimata Sa was charged with assault, resisting arrest, malicious damage and failure to leave a licensed premises, after a drunken episode in a Sydney hotel.
He played for the Catalans Dragons in 2010 after sealing a release from the final two years of his Roosters contract. The deal was a part exchange transfer involving Jason Ryles moving in the opposite direction.
In 2014 Sa transferred to Hull F.C. on a contract until the end of 2015.
On 25 October 2016 Sa signed a 3 year contract with Australian Rugby League team Mackay Cutters who play in the Intrust Super Cup.

Rugby union career

When at Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch he played Rugby for the school's first XV.
In 2012 Sa signed a contract to switch codes and play rugby union for the London Irish club, which was finally completed in Jan 2013 after he received a work permit.
On 9 November 2012 he made his debut for the Samoan national team against Canada.