Born: July 3, 1973 - Porirua
Test record: 17 Tests (2002-05) - 1 try (4 points)
Tours: 2002 tour of Britain and France, 2004 Tri Nations, 2005 Tri Nations
Giant, late-blooming Wellington junior Paul Rauhihi played 17 Tests for New Zealand from 2002-05 while establishing himself as a front-row leader with the Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys.
Coming through the ranks with Cottingham Tigers and St George in Wellington, Rauhihi played for Northcote Tigers - winning a Fox Memorial grand final in 1994 - and Lion Red Cup outfit North Harbour Sea Eagles after joining the NZ Navy.
Rauhihi was snapped up by the Auckland Warriors and played in the club's reserve grade grand final loss in 1997 but could not force his way into the first grade side. A stint with fledgling Melbourne Storm also failed to garner an NRL call-up, but his break came via a mid-season switch to Newcastle Knights in 1999.
He played 19 games for the Knights across the 1999-2000 seasons - playing in a preliminary final in the latter - before being lured to the Bulldogs. A New Zealand MΔori rep against the Kumuls and Lions in 1996, and Great Britain again in 1999, Rauhihi played all three of Aotearoa MΔori's matches at the 2000 World Cup.
Big and intimidating, but mobile with slick ball skills, Rauhihi was a prominent member of the Bulldogs' ladder-leading charge in 2002 prior to the club's salary cap scandal scuppering its premiership hopes. He debuted at prop in New Zealand's 32-24 post-season loss to Australia, then played all five Tests against Wales, Great Britain and France.
The 29-year-old joined the improving Cowboys in 2003 and lined up in the Kiwis' harrowing 48-6 loss to the Kangaroos in Sydney.
Rauhihi was an occasional captain of the Cowboys and a vital component of the side the qualified for the club's first finals series in 2004 (when he was named Dally M Prop of the Year) and stormed to the grand final in 2005 (a 30-16 loss to Wests Tigers).
Meanwhile, he played 10 Tests in succession for the Kiwis, starting with their 2004 Tri Nations opener and culminating in the 2005 Tri Nations final triumph against the Kangaroos in Leeds. He captained his country against Great Britain in a 26-24 loss at Hull during the 2004 tournament and scored his only Test try in a crucial win over Great Britain in 2005.
Having played 131 NRL games, Rauhihi played for Warrington from 2006-09, eventually hanging up the boots at 36 years of age.