{{Short description|New Zealand international rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Robert Piva |fullname = |image = |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|11|04}} |birth_place = |height = {{convert|208|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|122|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} |position = {{rlp|PR|SR}} |club1 = St. George (WRL) |year1start = 1985 |year1end = 87 |club2 = Randwick (WRL) |year2start = 1988 |year2end = 90 |club3 = Porirua City (WRL) |year3start = 1991 |year3end = 93 |club4 = Taranaki Rockets |year4start = 1994 |year4end = |appearances4 = 14 |tries4 = 4 |goals4 = 0 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 16 |club5 = Wakefield Trinity |year5start = 1994 |year5end = 95 |appearances5 = 18 |tries5 = 3 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 0 |points5 = 12 |club6 = North Qld Cowboys |year6start = 1995 |year6end = |appearances6 = 9 |tries6 = 0 |goals6 = 0 |fieldgoals6 = 0 |points6 = 0 |teamA = Wellington |yearAstart = 1986 |yearAend = 93 |appearancesA = 40 |triesA = 0 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 0 |teamB = New Zealand |yearBstart = 1993 |yearBend = |appearancesB = 1 |triesB = 0 |goalsB = 0 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 0 |retired = yes |source = <ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/robert-piva/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012}}</ref> }}
'''Robert Piva''' (born 4 November 1966 Died 24 March 2025) is a former New Zealand international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A {{rlp|pr}} forward, Piva played for Wakefield Trinity and was a foundation player for the North Queensland Cowboys.<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>
==Playing career== A Junior Kiwis representative, Piva played for Waterside, St. George, Randwick, Porirua City and the Kapiti Bears in the Wellington Rugby League and represented Wellington 40 times over seven years.<ref>[http://nzrl.co.nz/past-kiwis/past-kiwis-caps---p.aspx Past Kiwis Caps - P] ''NZRL''</ref><ref name=p128>''1986 Lion Red Rugby League Annual'', New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1986. p.128</ref>
In 1993, he was selected for New Zealand on their tour of Great Britain. He made his Test debut for New Zealand in their 24–19 win over Wales in Swansea. He played eight tour games before fracturing his eye socket while tackling Andy Farrell in a game against the Great Britain under-21 side.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/9374942/Former-rugby-star-tackling-youth-problems|title=Former rugby star tackling youth problems|date=8 November 2013|website=stuff.co.nz}}</ref>
In 1994, Piva played for the Taranaki Rockets in the Lion Red Cup.<ref name=Rockets>''Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994'', New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1994. p.118</ref> Halfway through the season he was signed by Wakefield Trinity, spending a season with the club.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-clubbyclub-guide-to-the-new-season-1377408.html Club-by-club guide to the new season] ''The Independent'', 19 August 1994</ref>
In 1995, after the English season had ended, he signed with the North Queensland Cowboys in the Australian Rugby League.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cadigan|first=Neil|title=25 Years in the Saddle|year=2015|publisher=Playright Publishing|page=92|isbn=9780994237316}}</ref> In Round 11 of the 1995 ARL season, he made his first grade in the Cowboys' 14–44 loss to the Newcastle Knights. He played nine games for the club that season, coming off the bench in all of them. At the end of the season, he was named in the Western Samoa squad for 1995 Rugby League World Cup but did not play a game.
In 1996, he represented Western Samoa at the Super League World Nines in Suva, Fiji.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050829123825/http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~maajjs/res/wnines.htm Super League World Nines 1996] ''The Internet Vault'' via ''web.archive.org''</ref>
In 2001 he played in the Bartercard Cup for the Porirua Pumas.<ref name=rd7>[http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=6157 Round 7 Bartercard Cup teams] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120913024814/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=6157 |date=13 September 2012 }} ''rleague.com'', 26 April 2001</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Western Samoa 1995 Rugby League World Cup squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piva, Robert}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen Category:Junior Kiwis players Category:Kapiti Coast Bears players Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby league players in Australia Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby league players in England Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players Category:New Zealand rugby league players Category:New Zealand people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:North Queensland Cowboys players Category:Porirua Pumas players Category:Porirua Vikings players Category:Randwick Kingfishers players Category:Rugby league players from Wellington Region Category:Rugby league props Category:Rugby league second-rows Category:Samoa national rugby league team players Category:Samoan rugby league players Category:St. George Saints players Category:Taranaki rugby league team players Category:Wakefield Trinity players Category:Wellington rugby league team players