Chanel Harris-Tavita
{{Short description|Samoa international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Chanel Harris-Tavita
|fullname = Chanel Harris-Tavita
|image = Chanel Harris-Tavita Samoa.jpg
|image_size =
|position = {{rlp|FE|HB}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|04|03|df=y}}
| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand
| height = {{convert|183|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|89|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| club1 = {{nowrap|New Zealand Warriors}}
| year1start = 2019
| year1end = present
| appearances1 = 77
| tries1 = 13
| goals1 = 63
| fieldgoals1 = 1
| points1 = 179
| points2 = 0
|teamA = Samoa
|yearAstart = 2019
|yearAend = present
|appearancesA = 7
|triesA = 4
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 16
|teamB = {{nowrap|Māori All Stars}}
|yearBstart = 2022
|yearBend =
|appearancesB = 1
|triesB = 0
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 0
|new = yes
|source = [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/chanel-harris-tavita/summary.html Rugby League Project]
|updated = 19 April 2025
}}
Chanel Harris-Tavita (born 3 April 1999) is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a {{rlp|fe}} or {{rlp|hb}} for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Background
Harris-Tavita was born in Auckland, New Zealand and is of Samoan descent. His grandfather Ray Harris represented New Zealand Maori and Auckland.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby-league-the-making-of-chanel-harris-tavita-why-the-warriors-latest-nrl-prodigy-is-no-overnight-sensation/YCSWIQDT5NTLWRUG6YILDICNQ4/ |title=Rugby league: The making of Chanel Harris-Tavita - Why the Warriors' latest NRL prodigy is no overnight sensation |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date= 9 April 2019|access-date=30 July 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2022/02/rugby-league-nz-warriors-chanel-harris-tavita-follows-in-grandfather-s-footsteps-with-m-ori-all-stars-selection.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405002113/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2022/02/rugby-league-nz-warriors-chanel-harris-tavita-follows-in-grandfather-s-footsteps-with-m-ori-all-stars-selection.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 April 2022 |title=Rugby league: NZ Warriors' Chanel Harris-Tavita follows in grandfather's footsteps with Māori All Stars selection |publisher=Newshub |date=5 February 2022 |access-date=30 July 2023}}
Playing career
=2016-2018=
A clever ball player, he was named the New Zealand Warriors 2017 NYC player of the year.{{cite web |url=https://www.warriors.kiwi/teams/telstra-premiership/warriors/chanel-harris-tavita/ |title= Chanel Harris-Tavita |publisher=Warriors |access-date=28 May 2022}}
Harris-Tavita made his NYC debut on his 17th birthday in 2016 and, after two seasons in the under-20 grade, was moved up to develop his game in the Intrust Super Premiership in 2018.
=2019-2020=
In round 4 of the 2019 NRL season, Harris-Tavita made his NRL debut against the Gold Coast Titans. He was viewed as Shaun Johnson long term replacement, who signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in late 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2019/01/03/nrl-experts-predict-chanel-harris-tavita-to-fill-shaun-johnsons-boots-at-warriors/ |title=NRL experts predict Chanel Harris-Tavita to fill Shaun Johnson's boots at Warriors |publisher=1 News |date=4 January 2019 |access-date=31 May 2022}}
He made 13 appearances for the New Zealand Warriors in both of the 2019 and 2020 seasons as the club missed out on the finals.{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/12/01/for--against-warriors-to-make-finals-in-2021/|title=Warriors to make finals in 2021|website=www.nrl.com|date=December 2020 }}
=2021=
In round 9 of the 2021 NRL season, he scored two tries in a 38-32 loss against Manly-Warringah.
He made a total of 11 appearances for the club which saw New Zealand once again miss out on the finals.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-09/allan-injury-overshadows-dragons-win-manly-edges-warriors/100119808/|title=St George Illawarra beats Canterbury Bulldogs 32-12, Manly defeats New Zealand Warriors 38-32|newspaper=ABC News|date=9 May 2021 }}
=2022=
Following New Zealand's record 70-10 loss to Melbourne in round 8 of the 2022 NRL season, it was revealed that Harris-Tavita suffered a ruptured testicle during the game which required surgery. Harris-Tavita was then ruled out from playing indefinitely.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/rugby-league/news/freak-injury-rules-out-warriors-playmaker-chanel-harris-tavita-month/bfpxqbtpz9afnzgetoggviv3/|title=Freak injury rules out Warriors playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita for a month|website=www.sportingnews.com|date=28 April 2022 }} In May 2022, Harris-Tavita announced he was taking a hiatus from rugby league at the end of the season. Harris-Tavita cited that he had lost the passion for playing the game and was going to spend his time traveling and writing.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/warriors/128732193/time-for-a-change-of-scenery-chanel-harristavita-makes-shock-decision-to-walk-away-from-nrl-at-23 |author=George Clarke |title='Time for a change of scenery': Chanel Harris-Tavita makes shock decision to walk away from NRL at 23 |publisher=Stuff |date=23 May 2022|access-date=28 May 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/nrl-warriors-star-chanel-harris-tavita-reveals-plan-to-take-break-from-rugby-league-next-season/SB4Q5ZPWCMWTUBCUOHIXNUVFQI/ |title=NRL: Warriors star Chanel Harris-Tavita reveals plan to take break from rugby league next season |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=23 May 2022 |access-date=28 May 2022}}
In October Harris-Tavita was named in the Samoa squad for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/rugby-league-world-cup-2021-squad-lists/ Full list of every squad at the Rugby League World Cup 2021]
Harris-Tavita played for Samoa in their Rugby League World Cup final loss to Australia. During the second half, Harris-Tavita was knocked out after being hit in the head by Australia's Angus Crichton. Harris-Tavita played no further part in the match.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2022/nov/19/australia-v-samoa-rugby-league-world-cup-final-live/|title=Australia 30-10 Samoa: Rugby League World Cup final – as it happened|website=www.theguardian.com}}
=2023=
After the World Cup the previous year, Harris-Tavita travelled Europe as part of his hiatus from rugby league. In May 2023, it was announced Harris-Tavita would return to the New Zealand Warriors, signing a two-year deal from 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/warriors/132106611/chanel-harristavita-to-return-to-warriors-in-2024-ending-his-nrl-sabbatical |title=Chanel Harris-Tavita to return to Warriors in 2024, ending his NRL sabbatical |publisher=Stuff |date=22 May 2023 |access-date=30 July 2023}}
=2024=
He played 17 games for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2024 NRL season which saw the club finish 13th on the table.{{cite web|url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news-2024-the-mole-season-review-warriors-analysis-exclusive-20240909-p5k98f.html/|title=The Mole's end-of-season review: The 'harsh' Shaun Johnson truth that plagued highly-fancied Warriors|website=www.nine.com.au|date=9 September 2024 }} On 15 October 2024, it was announced that Harris-Tavita would re-sign with the club for another 2 years.{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |date=2024-10-15 |title=Harris-Tavita's deal extended |url=https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2024/10/15/harris-tavitas-deal-extended/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Warriors |language=en}}
Statistics
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Team !Games !Tries !Goals !FGs !Pts |
| 2019
| rowspan="6" |{{Leagueicon|Auckland}} Warriors |13 |2 |24 | |56 |
| 2020
|13 |2 |27 | |62 |
| 2021
|11 |2 | |1 |9 |
| 2022
|17 |1 |1 | |6 |
| 2024
|17 |4 |11 | |38 |
| 2025
|7 |2 | | |8 |
| |Totals
|77 |13 |63 |1 |179 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://www.warriors.kiwi/teams/telstra-premiership/warriors/chanel-harris-tavita/ New Zealand Warriors profile]
- [https://www.nrl.com/players/rugby-league-world-cup/samoa/chanel-harris-tavita/ Samoa profile]
{{New Zealand Warriors squad}}
{{Samoa 2021 Rugby League World Cup squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris-Tavita, Chanel}}
Category:New Zealand Māori rugby league players
Category:New Zealand Māori rugby league team players
Category:New Zealand sportspeople of Samoan descent
Category:New Zealand Warriors players
Category:Rugby league players from Auckland
Category:Rugby league halfbacks