Faingaa, Saia

Saia (pron: say-ah) Faingaa (pron: fee-an-gah) continues to blossom as one of the outstanding long-term prospects for the CA Brumbies. Following the forced retirement of David Palavi at the beginning of 2007, Faingaa stepped up to deputise the CA Brumbies’ hooking role behind Jeremy Paul. The enthusiastic 20 year old represented the CA Brumbies in 11 matches in 2007, proving up to playing Investec Super 14 rugby despite his relatively young age. The dreadlocked rake returned to club rugby at the end of the Investec Super 14 season, debuting for Eastern Suburbs in Sydney’s Shute Shield competition and narrowly missing out on returning the club’s first premiership since 1969, losing to Sydney University 34-11 in the grand final. Faingaa then began his Mazda Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) campaign with a flurry, scoring a last-minute try against the Melbourne Rebels in Week One before tearing his hamstring against the Perth Spirit the following week. He returned in the final week of the competition against the Rebels and will be ready to take to the field at the beginning of 2008.

Born in Queanbeyan, Faingaa grew up playing rugby league for the Queanbeyan Kangaroos before crossing codes at Canberra’s prestigious rugby nursery, St Edmund’s College. Faingaa, a member of the Brumbies Academy since he was 14, represented the Australian Schools in 2003 and 2004, before captaining the Australian Under 19’s to a World Championship in Dubai in 2006. That year his Super 14 debut was fast-tracked following injuries to Jeremy Paul and David Palavi and he was rushed into the CA Brumbies’ squad in Cape Town where he won his first Super 14 cap in the CA Brumbies’ 15-all draw against the Stormers.