Ben Te Kura
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Benjamin Te Kura | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 April 2004 Penrith, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 122 kg (19 st 3 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 7 June 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Benjamin Te Kura (born 10 April 2004) is a professional rugby league footballer of Māori and Dutch descent.[2] who last played as a prop for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League (NRL). He stands at 2.05 metres (6 ft 9 in), which makes him the tallest player to have played in the NRL.[3][4]
Playing career
Early career
Educated at Wavell State High School, Te Kura played junior rugby league with the Redcliffe Dolphins from the age of 6 to 17.[5] After signing a development contract with the Brisbane Broncos, he moved across to the Norths Devils, playing in the Mal Meninga Cup.[5]
He was selected to make his representative debut in 2022, playing for the Queensland U19s squad.[6] However, he suffered a concussion after a head clash.[5]
Te Kura graduated to the Queensland Cup during the 2022 season, making four appearances for the Devils.[5] He switched to Souths Logan Magpies in 2023, again making the Queensland U19s representative squad.[7][8] He scored seven tries in 20 appearances for the Magpies in the 2023 Queensland Cup. He also played for the NZA Kiwi Representative team in 2023.
2024
In round 5 of the 2024 NRL season, Te Kura made his NRL debut for Brisbane, coming off the bench against the Melbourne Storm.[9] He scored a try in the 77th minute of the game.[10] In round 9 of the Queensland Cup, while playing for Souths Logan Magpies, Te Kura suffered an injury to his foot.[11]
2026
On 11 April 2026, the Brisbane Broncos granted Te Kura permission to take a 6 week leave from the club, in order to pursue a potential career in the National Football League (NFL). A projected offensive tackle, at the end of the six-week absence, Te Kura and the club will decide whether or not to extend his absence.[12] On 2 July, the Broncos announced Te Kura had been released from his contract to pursue the NFL opportunity.[13]
Te Kura travelled to Arizona to begin his football training.[14] He tried out with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears, attending the latter workout alongside fellow rugby convert Kaylan Faumui.[15][16]
See also
References
- ↑ "Ben Te Kura - Career Stats & Summary".
- ↑ "A couple of changes for Multicultural Round". Brisbane Broncos Facebook.
- ↑ "Kiwis hopeful Ben Te Kura to become NRL's tallest ever player with Brisbane Broncos debut". The New Zealand Herald. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ↑ "Who is the tallest NRL player? Brisbane Broncos prop Ben Te Kura is in rare air – Sporting News Australia". www.sportingnews.com. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 Brinums, Jorja (8 February 2023). "Te Kura: 'I want to be a player that kids look up to'". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ↑ "NSW U19s v QLD U19s". NRL.com. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ↑ Arnold, Rikki-Lee (4 April 2024). "Cup to NRL graduate: Ben Te Kura". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ↑ Hillier, Michael (3 July 2023). "Queensland Under 19 team named". qrl.com.au. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ↑ Meyn, Travis (4 April 2024). "Te Kura could prove a tall order on debut". Herald-Sun. Melbourne, Victoria: Nationwide News Pty Ltd. p. 59.
- ↑ "Storm snatch late win as Broncos also lose Reynolds". National Rugby League. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ↑ "Qscan Injury Update: Walters, Te Kura & Sailor". Broncos. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ↑ "NRL's biggest player granted leave of absence to pursue NFL". ABC News. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ "Club Statement: Ben Te Kura". Brisbane Broncos. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ Healy, Jon (1 July 2026). "Ben Te Kura leaves Brisbane Broncos for NFL dream as Corey Jensen faces uncertain future". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Alexander, Mookie (23 July 2026). "Seahawks hold tryout with Australia's tallest ever National Rugby League player". Field Gulls. SB Nation. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
- ↑ Martuneac, Pete (25 July 2026). "Are the Bears Getting Desperate at Left Tackle Ahead of Training Camp?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 26 July 2026.