Heimanu Taiarui

Heimanu Philippe Taiarui (born 24 August 1986) is a beach soccer and association football player from French Polynesia who plays as a defender. He has appeared at six editions of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup representing the Tahitian national team, finishing as a runner-up twice (2015 and 2017); at the former, he won the Golden Ball (best player) award.

Biography Early life Taiarui was born in Papeete. His father is from Mahina and his mother is from Papara; Taiarui grew up in the latter. He comes from a sporting family; both his parents played association football, with his mother having been the captain of the Tahitian women's team. His sister has also made appearances for the women's national team. Thus, Taiarui naturally found himself also engaged with football.

As a youth, along with football, Taiarui also frequently indulged in his passions for triathlon, surfing (competing in competitions alongside Michel Bourez) and motocross, However his parents were not enthused with him pursuing these sport's seriously. His mother's persistence ultimately gave him the "bug" for football and he joined the junior teams of A.S. Manu-Ura.

Career Whilst Taiarui played football on the beaches casually with friends, his journey into organised beach soccer only began in 2011. The Tahitian Football Federation (FTF) was holding trials in view of the 2011 OFC Beach Soccer Championship, the Oceanian qualifying event for the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, and Taiarui decided to participate. He impressed Swiss coach Angelo Schirinzi who was in attendance. Schirinzi offered him the chance to play with his club in Switzerland for a few months, which Taiarui accepted.

Schirinzi began inviting Taiarui to play in the Swiss National League each year. Following the unprecedented success of the team, Taiarui, along with the rest of the Tahitian squad, were appointed as knights of the Order of Tahiti Nui in October 2013. Meanwhile, Taiarui continued to play football in Tahiti, moving from his boyhood club of Manu-Ura to A.S. Pirae in 2014, making appearances in the OFC Champions League. He was in such a state of disbelief at winning the award, that he needed great encouragement to step forward and receive it. As a result of the Golden Ball, he suddenly found himself being recognised on the streets of Papeete and being stopped for autographs. His eligibility for such a prestigious list was, however, questioned. At the 2021 World Cup, Taiarui picked up an injury in Tahiti's second match against Spain, meaning he was unable to make any meaningful contribution in the competition any further.

Style of play Taiarui has been described as a "great craftsmen" of the recent game He was again involved in a life-saving incident later that year, responsible for rescuing two people who had been lost at sea near Tahiti for seven days, having come across them whilst out finishing on his boat.

In 2017, Taiarui left angling behind as he moved to Delémont, Switzerland due to more compatible job opportunities with his European beach soccer career, taking a job as a welder in Basel. Feeling claustrophobic, he moved to the nearby Sundgau region of France in 2019; as of then, he lives there with his partner, three children and eight dogs. Taiarui married his girlfriend in his hometown of Papara, Tahiti in 2022.

Statistics Competition Year Apps Goals Ref.FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2011 3 0 2013 4 4 2015 6 4 2017 5 1 2019 3 2 2021 3 2 Total 24 13 —

Honours As of 2023.

The following is a selection, not an exhaustive list, of the major international honours Taiarui has achieved:

Player Tahiti FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup: Runner-up, 2015, 2017 OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup: 2011, 2019, 2023 Intercontinental Cup Runner-up, 2015

Individual FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup: Best Player, 2015 OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup: Best Player, 2019 Beach Soccer Stars: World's top 3 best players, 2015; World dream team: 2015 Orders