Born: 14 June, 1989 – Sydney
Test record: 4 Tests (2016) – 1 try (4 points)
Tours: 2017 World Cup

A long-serving Cook Islands international and a veteran of over 200 NRL and Super League appearances, versatile ball-player Brad Takairangi played all four matches for the Kiwis at the 2017 World Cup.

Born in Sydney, Takairangi was a Cronulla-Caringbah junior and scored three tries on Test debut for Cook Islands against Samoa in 2009 while playing for South Sydney’s NYC Under-20s team.

Snapped up by Sydney Roosters, the 20-year-old made his NRL debut in 2010 with two appearances off the bench and became a first-grade regular over the next two seasons, boasting an ability to fill the second-row, centre and five-eighth roles with aplomb.

Takairangi was predominantly used as a centre by Gold Coast Titans in 2013-14 and starred for Cook Islands at the 2013 World Cup, while he was predominantly used in the backline during a six-season, 110-game stay at Parramatta that saw him play in three finals series.

The tall game-breaker earned a Kiwis call-up for the 2017 World Cup and played all four matches of a dismal campaign as a starting centre, scoring a try on debut in the tournament-opening win over Samoa.

Takairangi linked with Super League club Hull KR in 2021 and captained Cook Islands at the World Cup at the end of 2022.