Ofa Tu'ungafasi

Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Full name Aniseto Ofa He Mo'oni Tu'ungafasi
Date of birth (1992-04-19) 19 April 1992
Place of birth Nukualofa, Tonga
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 122 kg (19 st 3 lb; 269 lb)
School Mangere College
Notable relative(s) Mofuike Tuʻungafasi (father)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Current team Auckland, Blues
All Black No. 1150
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012– Auckland 41 (10)
2013– Blues 63 (5)
Correct as of 20 May 2018
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 New Zealand U20 5 (5)
2016– New Zealand 21 (5)
Correct as of 29 September 2018

Aniseto Ofa He Mo'oni Tu'ungafasi (born 19 April 1992) is New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the All Blacks as a prop. Domestically, he represents Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup and the Blues in Super Rugby[1]

Career

Early Career

He made his provincial debut in 2012 in a match against Hawke's Bay and his strong performances during the season saw him named in the Blues squad for the 2013 Super Rugby season.[2][3]

Tu'ungafasi represented New Zealand Under 20 in the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa making 5 appearances and scoring 1 try.[4]

On 29 May 2016 he was selected in the All Blacks squad for a three-test series against Wales.[5] Tu'ungafasi made his debut for New Zealand in the third test of the series, which was a 46-6 thrashing of Wales where Tu'ungafasi replaced Blues team mate Charlie Faumuina off the bench after 53 minutes. Tu'ungafasi was one of three forwards to debut against Wales that day, doing so alongside Elliot Dixon and Liam Squire. Tu'ungafasi made four more appearances for the All Blacks off the bench that year.

Tu'ungafasi has not missed selection for an All Black squad, or played for Auckland since his international debut.

2017-2018

Tu'ungafasi started for the Blues in a historic 22-16 win over the touring British and Irish Lions in 2017, becoming a regular player for the All Blacks off the bench after Faumuina's departure at the end of the Lions series. This saw Tu'ungafasi score his first try for the All Blacks in the record 57-0 win over South Africa in the 2017 Rugby Championship and make worldwide headlines for bone-crushing tackles on Wallabies first-five Bernard Foley and replacement lock Lukhan Tui in the third Bledisloe Cup test of 2017, but it was unfortunately lost 23-18 after Tu'ungafasi conceded a 3-point penalty to winger Reece Hodge for illegally taking out a Wallaby with three minutes left.

Tu'ungafasi made his first start for the All Blacks in the 31-22 win against the Barbarians on the 2017 end-of-year tour and was one of only two players to make an appearance for the All Blacks on every match of the end-of-year tour, alongside Lima Sopoaga.

Tu'ungafasi became a regular starter for the Blues in the 2018 Super Rugby season, replacing the departed Charlie Faumuina as the first-choice tighthead prop. After the Blues had a disappointing Super Rugby season, Tu'ungafasi was retained by the All Blacks for the three-test series against France in 2018. Tu'ungafasi was one of only three Blues players selected, alongside backs Rieko Ioane and Sonny Bill Williams. Tu'ungafasi replaced Owen Franks off the bench in all three tests against France, with his most notable involvement in the series being the second test, a 26-13 win over France on 16th June 2018. Tu'ungafasi replaced Franks during the second half, with Franks failing to scrummage to the referee's standards. Tu'ungafasi's shifts off the bench provided support to let the All Blacks win the series 3-0.

Tu'ungafasi has re-signed to the New Zealand Rugby Union, with a deal lasting until 2021.

Personal Life

Tu'ungafasi moved to New Zealand in 2006. He has ten brothers and two younger sisters.[5] His father Mofuike, played as a lock and represented Tonga at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.[5] One of this brothers, Isileli also plays for Auckland provincial team. Tu'ungafasi is married and is a father of three daughters.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Ofa Tu'uungafasi Auckland Player Profile". Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Ofa Tu'ungafasi Blues Player Profile". Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Blues squad announced for 2013". 31 October 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "Ofa Tu'ungafasi IRB JWC Player Profile". Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Herald, New Zealand. "New All Black Ofa Tu'ungafasi: My mum was teary". m.nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
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