Latu Makaafi

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Latu Makaafi
Birth nameLatu Makaafi
Date of birth (1982-08-17) August 17, 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth Faleloa, Tonga [1]
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight107 kg (236 lb; 16 st 12 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Current team Hull
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2000-2006 Bradford & Bingley 39 (85)
2006-2008 Jersey ()
2008-2009 Hull 20 (41)
2009-2011 Wharfedale 25 (60)
2011-2012 Doncaster 45 (25)
2012-2013 Rotherham 17 (0)
2013-2014 Jersey 18 (0)
2014-17 Doncaster 24 (45)
2017- Coventry ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2003- Tonga 1 (0)
– Tonga u-21

Latu Makaafi, also spelt as Latu Maka'afi, (born 1982) [2] is a Tongan rugby union flanker and Number 8 [3] who plays for Hull having previously been at Coventry.

Contents

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 Reds, 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. 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] Following a season at Jersey it was announced that Latu would be returning to Doncaster for the 2014–15 season. [12] Late in the 2016–2017 season, it was announced by Coventry Rugby that he had signed for them for the 2017–2018 season from Doncaster. [13]

International career

Makaafi has represented Tonga at a number of levels. He has represented the Tonga national under-20 rugby union team. [14] [15]

Honours

Bradford & Bingley

Hull

Wharfedale

References

  1. ↑ "Player profiles". Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  2. ↑ "More signings for JRFC squad". Channel Online TV. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  3. 1 2 "Tongan star rides off to join Knights". Craven Herald. 2010-05-20. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  4. ↑ "Latu Makaafi". Statbunker.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  5. 1 2 "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. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  7. ↑ "Disciplinary hearing" (PDF). 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. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. 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. ↑ "Latu Makaafi - Record by competition". Rugby Statbunker. 21 September 2015.
  13. ↑ "A Cov welcome to Latu". Coventry Rugby. 28 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "Historic rugby signings". BBC. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  15. ↑ "Latu Makaafi". Doncaster RFC. Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  16. ↑ "North 2 East 2002-03". englandrugby.com. 12 April 2003. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "North 1 2003-04". englandrugby.com. 17 April 2004.
  18. ↑ "North v Midlands Play Offs 2008-09". englandrugby.com. 25 April 2009. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "Wharfedale 36 Sheffield Tigers 13: Wharfedale celebrate Cup win as battling Sheffield fade away". Yorkshire Post. 6 May 2010.
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