Paul Matete

Paul Matete
Personal information
Full namePaul Kehoma Matete[1]
Born(1949-12-12)12 December 1949
New Zealand
Died17 June 2020(2020-06-17) (aged 70)
Playing information
PositionWing, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Otahuhu
1979 Eastern United
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1970–75 Auckland
1975 New Zealand Māori
1975 New Zealand 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1992–95 South Africa 2 0 0 2 0
1997–00 South Africa 4 0 0 4 0
Source: [2][3]
As of 24 March 2021

Paul Kehoma Matete (12 December 1949 – 17 June 2020)[4] was a New Zealand rugby league footballer, and coach who represented New Zealand in the 1975 World Cup.[2]

Playing career

A player for Otahuhu in the Auckland Rugby League competition, Matete was an Auckland representative. He won the Tetley Trophy in 1971 as the Auckland Rugby League's top tryscorer.[5]

Matete represented New Zealand Māori at the 1975 Pacific Cup.[6] Later that year he was selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team for the 1975 World Cup series.[1] Matete played in one Test match, appearing at centre against Australia in a match New Zealand lost 24-8.[2]

He joined the Eastern United club in 1979 and was part of the side that went through the season undefeated, with only three draws.[7] Matete is Kiwi number 521.[8] He is one of currently two hundred and twenty seven players who have played in only one Test match for the Kiwis.

Coaching career

Matete first arrived in South Africa in 1992 and worked as the national team's head coach.[3][9][10]

However, Matete did not take the team to the 1995 World Cup, when the Rhinos were instead coached by former Great Britain international Tony Fisher. Matate was reported to be averse to the involvement of another member of the team's staff, and coupled with getting married, he chose to step down as head coach for the tournament.[11]

He returned as head coach in time to take the team to the 1997 Rugby League World Nines tournament and a Test match against France in December that year.[12] France defeated South Africa 30 to 17 in that match, which was played at Stade Fernand Fournier in Arles, France.[13] Matete was the victim of a car-jacking in 1998.[11]

Matete later coached the side to the 2000 World Cup.[11] Fellow Kiwi Mike McClennan served as the team's technical advisor.[14][15][16] The side was unable to improve on its 1995 record as it did not win any of its three matches at the tournament.[17]

Sporting positions
Preceded by Coach
South Africa
South Africa
1997-2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 Coach
South Africa
South Africa
1992-1995 		Succeeded by

Later life and death

Matete returned to New Zealand after the 2000 World Cup and worked as a real estate agent in South Auckland for Barfoot & Thompson.[18] He died on 17 June 2020.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b MATETE, Paul Kehoma - 1975 Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
  2. ^ a b c "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Record for Paul Kehoma Matete". Auckland Council. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  5. ^ Otahuhu Rovers Rugby League Football and Sports Club Inc Archived 2010-06-05 at the Wayback Machine aucklandleague.co.nz
  6. ^ John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. pp. 191–193. ISBN 9781869693312.
  7. ^ History Archived 2012-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Pakuranga Rugby League Football Club
  8. ^ Roll of Honour nzrl.co.nz
  9. ^ Tribute To South African Rugby League Open Rugby Magazine
  10. ^ "Blacks turn their backs on 'the monster': South African townships show extraordinary enthusiam [sic] for the game". The Independent. 28 July 1993. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Violence has Matete eyeing green, green grass of home New Zealand Herald, 23 December 1999
  12. ^ World Nines Tournament 1997 Archived 2012-02-27 at the Wayback Machine www.rugby-league-world.com
  13. ^ "France 30 def. South Africa 17 at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  14. ^ South Africa bbc.co.uk
  15. ^ Rhinos aim to break duck bbc.co.uk, 17 October 2000
  16. ^ South Africa sportinglife.com
  17. ^ Bloem points finger at Ganson bbc.co.uk, 20 October 2000
  18. ^ Paul Matete barfoot.co.nz