He previously played in the Super 14 competition for the ACT Brumbies and the New South Wales Waratahs.

Tawake originally attended the Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange before joining Super 14 team, the New South Wales Waratahs.

Tawake was a volleyball schoolboy star during his earlier days before switching to Rugby Union.

[citation needed] In October 2006, Tawake made the tough call to have his right ring finger amputated after breaking it badly during the course of the 2006 Super 14 season.

[1] He made a full recovery, and had hoped to gain a place on Australia or Fiji's list for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, however this was not the case.