Salesi Ma'afu

Salesi Ma'afu

File:SALESI MAAFU 1.jpg
Full name	Salesi L. Ma'afu
Date of birth	(1983-03-22) 22 March 1983
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height
Weight	132 kg (20 st 11 lb)
School	Granville and Ashfield Boys High Schools
Notable relative(s)	Campese Ma'afu (brother)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Tighthead prop
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
2006–2008 2009–2011 2011	Warringah West Harbour Joonadalup Brothers
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2013–2015 2015 2015-	Northampton Saints Toulon Cardiff Blues	42	(5)
correct as of 26 December 2014.
Super Rugby
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2007–2011 2012–2013	Brumbies Western Force	52 23	(20) (0)
correct as of 15 July 2013.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2007–2008 2010	Australia A Australia	14	(5)

Salesi Ma'afu, (born 22 March 1983 in Camperdown, Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer.

Early Life

Ma'afu was educated at Granville and Ashfield Boys High Schools in Sydney and played rugby league as a youngster in the Balmain district before starting up with rugby, aged 11. Ma'afu first made his mark at representative level in the NSW Under-19 side in 2001 and 2002, later featuring in the Waratahs Academy through 2004 and 2005.

Club career

He signed with the ACT Brumbies in 2006 and made his Super Rugby debut in 2007. Ma'afu made the Australia A squad the same year, ending his year with a late-season appearance for the British Barbarians club during its 22-5 win over the new Rugby World Cup holders, South Africa. In the NSW club competition, after spending two years with Warringah, in 2009 Ma'afu returned to West Harbour, where he played alongside his brother Campese.

In 2011, Ma'afu signed to join the Perth-based Western Force, to commence 2012. He also is the club ambassador for local club, Joondalup Brothers RUFC, for whom himself and his children played.

Before the commencement of the 2013 Super Rugby season Ma'afu signed with the English Premiership side Northampton Saints ahead of the 2013/2014 season. Ma'afu became a regular in the side, helping them to victory in both the Premiership and the European Challenge Cup. On 13 June 2015, Maafu would join top French club Toulon in the Top 14 on a two-year contract. However, Ma'afu parted ways with Toulon by "mutual agreement" after being convicted of assault earlier this year. Instead, Ma'afu was signed to Welsh region Cardiff Blues, following his release from Toulon.

International career

Ma'afu's first test cap was in 2010 against Fiji, where he had the unusual challenge of marking his brother, who was also playing on debut. The pair became just the fourth set of brothers to oppose each other in Tests, and the first to achieve this feat when both were on debut. Subsequent tests in 2010 against England, Ireland, and South Africa completed a strong year for the prop.

In 2011 Ma'afu was selected in the Wallabies squad for the Rugby World Cup, in New Zealand.

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Western Force Profile
• itsrugby.co.uk profile