Meet Dane Gagai, the Rugby Player with Ancestry from Maori Tribes

Meet Dane Gagai, the Rugby Player with Ancestry from Torres Strait Islander and Maori Tribes

Dane Gagai an Aussie player of rugby football who actually in the Newcastle Knights team inside the Rugby League of National. He was born in Mackay the small Australian town. That town is in Queensland state and the date of his birth was January 3, 1991 (Walter, 2018). He has rich ancestral history form his parents. His mother is from Ngati Pikiao Maori tribe. From his father he is the offspring of the Torres Strait Islander mostly lived by Yam Island and Badu Island people. Gagai's father was a rugby player too, so we can see that this sport is their family heritage. We see that his team was Brisbane Broncos for the season of 1989. 

He joined Brisbane Broncos after playing Brisbane Wests in the junior team. Like father Dane Gagai was a player for Brisbane Wests from 2009 to 2011. He used to play juvenile rugby for Brisbane Wests. He's also a Queensland representative who was named to the Indigenous All Stars for the 2015-2016 season.  Dane is a well-known and well-liked celebrity who is well-known for his role as a rugby player. Gagai has Indigenous Australian and Mori ancestors, given him the opportunity to play for both New Zealand and Australia. At the international stage, he has represented Australia and the Maori of New Zealand. Rugby player Dane Gagai is well-known for his charismatic presence and well performance in the game. If we search his family background, we can find that he is also the cousin of Josh Hoffman, a current test player of New Zealand Cricket, Wendell Sailor, a former player of Broncos, and Travis Waddell, a current Broncos player. 

He was formerly with the Brisbane Broncos. He used to play centre, fullback, or wing. With playing 23 games, Gagai ended his final season with the Newcastle Knights.  He made his team last for the third year in a row by scoring two tries. He was named to the 24-man Australia Kangaroos squad for the World Cup 2017 on October 3rd of Rugby League. He was appeared in five games during the competition, scoring three tries, along with a start on the wing in the Kangaroos at Suncorp Stadium, World Cup Final win over England. His international debut was for Australia against England there he was in the wing. The Kangaroos three-quarter also played for the Native All Stars in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 games, and had planned to do so again, but he also needs to charge tribute to his mother's Maori heritage at some point (web.archive.org, 2016). starting on the wing. Since he has Maori ancestry and Torres Strait Island; Gagai is deemed one of the NRL's Community leaders, is in the peculiar situation of being qualified for both teams in the revived Harvey Norman All Stars match on February 15 at Melbourne's AAMI Park. Gagai is of Torres Strait Islander and Ngti Pikiao descent and was born in Mackay, Queensland.

Dane remembers watching his dad playing his favourite sport, and it didn't take him long to walk in his dad's legacy. Dane also does have his own family, as the wonderful father of Dante with his wife Kelly. 

 

Reference list

Walter, B. (2018). “I would love to represent both sides of my family”: Gagai’s dilemma. [online] National Rugby League. Available at: https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/08/20/i-would-love-to-be-able-to-represent-both-sides-of-my-family-gagais-tough-decision/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2021].

web.archive.org. (2016). SQUADS FOR AUCKLAND NINES - Rugby League Week. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20160115214258/http://rugbyleagueweek.com.au/squads-auckland-nines/ [Accessed 28 Apr. 2021].