Maka Unufe

Last updated

Maka Unufe
Personal information
Full nameKisi Keomaka Unufe
BornSeptember 28, 1991 (1991-09-28) (age 32)
Chula Vista, California, U.S.
Home town Provo, Utah, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight210 lb (95 kg) [1]
Rugby union career
Position(s) Center
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011 Utah Warriors ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2022 Houston SaberCats 7 (5)
Correct as of December 21, 2021
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
2011– United States 255 (367)
Correct as of March 22, 2024 [2]

Kisi Keomaka "Maka" Unufe (born September 28, 1991) is an American rugby union player. He has played over a decade with the United States national rugby sevens team. [3] He also played for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR) as a center.

Contents

Early years

Unufe is from Provo, Utah, United States. [4] Unufe previously played American football as a wide receiver at Provo High School. Unufe starred for the Utah Warriors at the Club 7s Nationals in August 2011, earning a nomination to the All-Tournament team. [5] He was then selected to play at the National All-Star Championships. [6]

Club career

Unufe signed with the Houston SaberCats for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. [7]

U.S. national rugby sevens team

Although only 19 years old at the time, Unufe made his international debut with the United States national team playing as a wing in the 2011 Pan American games against Chile in October 2011, scoring a try in his first game. He was the team's top try scorer at the Pan Am games with 5 tries, helping the U.S. national team win a Bronze medal. [8] Following the tournament, U.S. national team head coach Al Caravelli described Unufe as "phenomenal" and "a star in the making." [9] In recognition of Unufe's rapid rise, Rugby Mag named Unufe the 2011 Men's Breakout Player of the Year, [8] and This Is American Rugby named Unufe the 2011 Youth Player of the Year. [6] Unufe made his Sevens World Series debut at the 2012 Wellington Sevens. [10]

With the arrival of speedsters Carlin Isles and Perry Baker, Unufe was moved to center. [1] Unufe was named to World Rugby's Dream Team for the 2015 Wellington Sevens tournament, due to his "strong defensive plays and hard runs." [11] Unufe played for the U.S. at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the U.S. finished in ninth place. Unufe was a key piece of the U.S. comeback at the 2017 USA Sevens from a 0–19 deficit against Argentina to win 21–19. [12] Unufe missed the entire 2018–19 season due to a suspension for a banned substance that had been contained in a diet supplement he had taken.

Unufe competed for the United States at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town. [13] [14] He competed for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. [15] [16]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "INJURIES BREED OPPORTUNITY AS EAGLES LIMP TO NEW ZEALAND" Archived February 2, 2018, at the Wayback Machine , Rugby Today, Pat Clifton, January 30, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Maka UNUFE, Wing". its rugby. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Maka Unufe - Men's Sevens". USA Rugby . Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ Donaldson, Amy (August 9, 2016). "Provo native Maka Unufe went from high school dropout to Olympian inspired by his family". Deseret News . Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  5. ↑ "7s Nationals All-Tournament Team". rugbymag.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "TIAR Awards: Youth Player of the Year, Maka Unufe". This Is American Rugby. December 16, 2011. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Houston signs Maka Unufe, re-sign front row trio". americas rugby news. December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "2011 RUGBYMag Awards!". rugbymag.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". utahwarriors.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ "Full-Time Contracts Already Paying Off?". rugbymag.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Eagles Learn Vegas Draw, Unufe Makes Dream Team". This Is American Rugby. February 7, 2015. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Vegas 7s Men: Comeback Propels Eagles Into Semi-finals Archived March 3, 2018, at the Wayback Machine , This Is American Rugby, March 4, 2017.
  13. ↑ "USA names rosters for Sevens World Cup". Americas Rugby News. September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  14. ↑ Cahill, Calder (September 1, 2022). "Men's Eagles Sevens touch down in Cape Town as Rugby World Cup Sevens roster is confirmed". eagles.rugby. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  15. ↑ "USA Men's Roster for 2024 Paris Olympic Games". Americas Rugby News. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  16. ↑ Dean, Taylor (July 1, 2024). "USA Rugby Announces Men's Olympic Rugby Sevens Team for Paris". eagles.rugby. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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