Photo: Damien Blake / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Tana Umaga is a name I associate with a particular era of fearless, physical rugby. Captaining the All Blacks is about as high as the sport goes, and what strikes me is that he did it as a player of Samoan heritage who carried that identity proudly, later using the chiefly title Fa'alogo, meaning the listener. I like that he didn't drift away after retiring. Moving into coaching, leading Moana Pasifika and working on the All Blacks defence, shows someone still invested in the game's future. The Pierre de Coubertin Medal and his Order of Merit honour suggest a man respected well beyond the scoreboard.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tana Umaga
- Name (Japanese)
- タナ・ウマガ
- Reading
- たな・うまが
- Born
- May 27, 1973 (age 53)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Ox
- Origin
- Lower Hutt, New Zealand
- Height
- 187 cm
- Occupation
- rugby league player / rugby union player / actor
2. Background
- High school
- Wainuiomata High School
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
- 2003 Pierre de Coubertin Medal
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Tana Umaga born?
Born May 27, 1973 (age 53).
Where is Tana Umaga from?
Tana Umaga is from Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
What does Tana Umaga do?
Tana Umaga works as rugby league player, rugby union player, actor.
How tall is Tana Umaga?
Tana Umaga is 187 cm.
Rugby league player — see all → · Rugby union player — see all → · More people from New Zealand →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.