Tetera Faulkner is a powerful scrummaging front row forward with an excellent work ethic who patiently plied his trade before winning national honours. Born in New Zealand, Faulkner initially followed a well-trodden path in domestic rugby before he was almost lost to the game. After he represented Australia at the 2008 U20 World Championships, Faulkner found he wasn’t enjoying his rugby. He returned home, worked as a labourer and played a bit of club football. By the end of 2009 Faulkner was reinvigorated with the desire to again play professional rugby, trained hard and got himself back into shape. He joined Southern Districts in the Sydney Shute Shield competition and linked up with the Waratahs Academy. In 2011 the Western Force drafted him on a short-term deal and signed him full-time in 2012. Two years later he was chosen for his first Wallaby tour and was rewarded with a Test debut against Wales in Cardiff. In 2017, three years after his previous Test, Faulkner was recalled to the squad and earned two further Test caps on the Spring Tour.
Highlights
2006
Selected for the Australian Schools tour of Fiji and New Zealand.
2007
Selected in the Australian squad for the IRB U19s World Championships in Ireland.
2008
Selected in the Australian squad for the inaugural IRB U20s Junior World Championships in Wales.
2014
Faulkner was selected in the squad for the end-of-season Spring Tour where he won his first Test caps off the bench against Wales and Ireland.
2017
Coach Michael Cheika recalled Faulkner for the Rugby Championship and Spring Tour where he doubled his cap tally with appearances as a replacement against both Argentina and Scotland.
