Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa was born and raised in Mangere, South Auckland and is of Tongan heritage.

He moved to Dunedin at 12 years old to board at Otago Boys High School where he went on to play for the First XV. In 2020, at 16 years of age he scored an extraordinary try against John McGlashan College that went viral. Fending off nine tackles on his way to a sensational try. It’s that same power and pace that has taken Tupou Ta’eiloa far.

Tupou Ta’eiloa was picked up by the Southland Stags in 2023. Coming off a dominant season with Southland in 2024, he received a pre-season training opportunity with Moana Pasifika.

He quickly went from a replacement player to a regular on the starting lineup, earning the trust of management with his high work rate and made his debut against the Western Force in Round One. He scored a try off the bench and was the spark plug the team needed, seizing his opportunity.

Since then Tupou Ta’eiloa has taken Super Rugby Pacific by storm with his ferocious and electrifying style of play. He made a total of 13 appearances in 2025, playing 943 minutes which was the most out of the entire Moana Pasifika team. He also added seven tries and 989 ball carries to his name, illustrating his high productivity and tremendous impact.

Tupou Ta’eiloa finished the 2025 season as Super Rugby Pacific’s leader in carries (205), and was named Moana Pasifika Rookie of the Year and Best Defensive Player.

Moana Pasifika debut: 2025 v Western Force