Latu Makaafi

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Latu Makaafi
Personal information
Full name Latu Makaafi
Date of birth (1982-08-17) August 17, 1982
Place of birth Faleloa, Tonga[1]
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight 16 st 1 lbs (102 kg)
Club information
Position(s) Flanker
Current club Jersey
Senior clubs*
YearsClubApps (points)
2000-2006
2006-2008
2008-2009
2009-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013		Bradford & Bingley
Jersey
Hull
Wharfedale
Doncaster
Rotherham
Jersey
Representative teams
2003-Tonga
Tonga u-21		1
* Professional club appearances and points
counted for domestic first grade only.

Latu Makaafi, also spelt as Latu Maka'afi, (born 1982)[2] is a Tongan rugby union flanker and Number 8[3] who plays for RFU Championship team, Jersey R.F.C.

Rugby career

Makaafi started playing rugby in England in 2000 when he started playing for Bradford & Bingley RFC.[4] In 2006, he signed for London 2 South club Jersey R.F.C., becoming the first professional player for Jersey[5] after receiving a work permit from the States of Jersey Customs and Immigration Service.[6] In 2008, Makaafi signed for Hull Ionians. In October 2008, he was suspended from playing rugby for 8 weeks by the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union after being sent off for punching.[7] In 2009, Makaafi signed for Wharfedale R.U.F.C..[8] In 2011, he left Wharfedale for Doncaster Knights.[3] In leaving Wharfedale Makaafi recommended that fellow Tongan Talite Vaioleti would replace him at Wharfedale.[9] In 2012, Makaafi moved to fellow RFU Championship team Rotherham Titans for the 2012–13 RFU Championship season as part of a mass exodus of players from Doncaster Knights.[10] During his time at Rotherham Titans, Makaafi played as a guest player at his old club, Bradford & Bingley for a match between a Bradford Salem Select XV and Bradford Grammar School.[11] In 2013, it was announced that Makaafi would return to Jersey for their 2013-14 season.[5]

International career

Makaafi has represented Tonga at a number of levels. He has represented the Tonga national under-20 rugby union team.[12] He has also been capped by the Tonga national rugby union team once against Fiji at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.[13]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.jrfc.je/1st-team/player-profiles.aspx
  2. ↑ "More signings for JRFC squad". Channel Online TV. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Tongan star rides off to join Knights". Craven Herald. 2010-05-20. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  4. ↑ "Latu Makaafi". Statbunker.com. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Latu Makaafi returns to Jersey as one of three signings". BBC Sport. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  6. ↑ "Latu Jersey’s first pro". This is Jersey. 2006-05-18. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  7. ↑ Disciplinary hearing. Yorkshire RFC. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  8. ↑ Ellwood, Chris (2009-09-13). "Justice is done in the end for Wharfedale". The Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  9. ↑ "Interview with Talite Vaioleti from Tonga". Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  10. ↑ "‘That’s the way it goes’ as exodus hits Knights". South Yorkshire Times. 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  11. ↑ "Bees join forces with Bradford Salem". The Telegraph and Argus. 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  12. ↑ "Historic rugby signings". BBC. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
  13. ↑ "Latu Makaafi". Doncaster RFC. Retrieved 2013-05-04. 
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