Vaea made 26 appearances for the during the 2011 and 2012 seasons and signed a contract extension in 2012 to keep him in Canberra until 2014, but was ruled out of the entire 2013 and 2014 Super Rugby season after a blood clot was discovered on his heart. He returned to action for the Brumbies during the 2015 Super Rugby season, scoring four tries in seventeen appearances and signed a contract tying him to the Brumbies until 2017. However, after starting four matches during the 2016 Super Rugby season, Vaea was forced to retire from rugby union following ongoing health issues relating to his heart.