Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Olsen Orekewa Filipaina
- Born
- Tuesday, 23rd April, 1957
- Died
- Thursday, 10th February, 2022 (Aged 64 years and 293 days)
- Place Of Birth
- New Zealand
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- Test Series
- New Zealand vs France 1981, New Zealand vs Great Britain 1984, Great Britain vs New Zealand 1985, France vs New Zealand 1985
- NSW Reserve Grade
- 1984
Biography
Burly Kiwi International centre/five-eighth, the son of a Samoan heavyweight boxer, was one of five brothers to play for East Mangere in Auckland. Filipaina first came to prominence when he played for NZ in the three-Test series in Australia in 1978. Joining Balmain in 1980 his form during his five seasons with the Tigers was largely inconsistent and he was reduced to being a lower grade player with Easts and Norths. Filipaina undoubtedly reserved his best for the Test arena and he proved to be a major factor in NZ's upset wins over Australia in Brisbane in 1983 and in Carlaw Park in the Third Test in 1985. When his Test career ended in 1986, he had the second highest points total in Tests for NZ (6t, 44g - 108pts). In 1990 he captained Ryde-Eastwood to victory in the inaugural Metropolitan Cup competition.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Additional Notes
Born in Kaikohe, NZ.
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 29 | 6 | 44 | - | 108 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 37.93% | List | ||||
| World Cup | - | 7 | - | 8 | - | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 42.86% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | New Zealand | - | 40 | 13 | 44 | - | 129 | 19 | 20 | 1 | 47.50% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Auckland | - | 3 | 2 | 2 | - | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
| Test Series | 4 | 25 | 3 | 44 | - | 99 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 36.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) | - | 109 | 21 | 128 | - | 323 | 43 | 63 | 3 | 39.45% | List | ||||
| Preseason Cup | - | 5 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | - | 17 | 4 | 7 | - | 26 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 41.18% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 174 | 42 | 181 | - | 494 | 98 | 130 | 7 | 56.32% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| New Zealand | 1977-82, 1984-86 | 29 | 6 | 44 | - | 108 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 37.93% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| New Zealand | 1977, 1985-86 | 7 | - | 8 | - | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 42.86% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Auckland | 1977-79 | 8 | 5 | 4 | - | 23 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 37.50% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1980 | 17 | 5 | 3 | - | 21 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 35.29% | List | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1981 | 17 | 5 | 4 | - | 23 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 29.41% | List | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1982 | 23 | 7 | 21 | - | 63 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 34.78% | List | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRFL 1983 | 12 | - | 30 | - | 60 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 58.33% | List | ||||
| Balmain | NSWRL 1984 | 13 | 2 | 25 | - | 58 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 38.46% | List | ||||
| Eastern Suburbs | NSWRL 1985 | 9 | - | 21 | - | 42 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| North Sydney | NSWRL 1986 | 17 | 2 | 24 | / | 28 | 85.71% | - | 56 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 41.18% | List | |
| North Sydney | NSWRL 1987 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Balmain | 1980-84 | 82 | 19 | 83 | - | 225 | 31 | 49 | 2 | 37.80% | List | ||||
| Eastern Suburbs | 1985 | 9 | - | 21 | - | 42 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| North Sydney | 1986-87 | 18 | 2 | 24 | / | 28 | 85.71% | - | 56 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 44.44% | List | |
| Overall | 1980-1987 | 109 | 21 | 128 | 0 | 323 | 43 | 63 | 3 | 39.45% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, AJ Lucantonio, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, Steven Russo, Tony McCarron, Max Turner
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present)
Your Say
18/05/2011
I found the story of Olsen Filipaina to be totally fascinating. I thought it was a complete mystery how this man would go from being a reserve grade player to being this amazing international test player almost in an instant. Finding out about him being subjected to racism during his rugby league career goes a long way into explaining this paradox. Racism in sport here in Australia must be dealt with severely as not only does it damage the victim unfairly, it deprives sports fans of the pleasure and privilege of watching a sporting legend at his best. Everyone loses out as a result.
17/06/2020
The new book, The Big O by Patrick Skene is an amazing read about Olsen and highlights exactly what the above person said in their comment.
He was a Pasifika pioneer and during his time in Sydney, dealt with constant vile racism, terrible coaching that had no idea of cultural awareness of PI players.
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