Paki Afu

Paki Afu
Personal information
Full name	Pakisonasi Afu
Born	7 September 1990 (age 34); Auckland, New Zealand
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	114 kg (17 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position	Prop, Second-row, Lock
Club
Representative
Rugby union
Position	Centre
Club
Representative
	Source:

Pakisonasi Afu (born 7 September 1990) is a professional rugby footballer who has represented Tonga in rugby league and Tonga A in rugby union. He is contracted to Austin Elite Rugby to play Major League Rugby in the United States. Afu previously played rugby league in the NSW Cup for New Zealand Warriors and Wyong Roos as a prop.^[2] His usual position in rugby union is centre.

Early life

Pakisonasi Afu was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He played rugby league as an Otahuhu Leopards junior before moving to Australia in 2008.

Afu played for the Canterbury Bulldogs in the Toyota Cup between 2008 and 2010. He was a Tongan international in 2009, and in 2010 he was named in the Junior Kiwis squad.^[3]

He signed with the Parramatta Eels for 2011 and played for the Wentworthville Magpies in the Bundaberg Red Cup.^[4] Following this, Afu went on a Mormon mission to the Philippines.^[5]

In 2014, he returned to New Zealand and the Otahuhu Leopards, playing in the Auckland Rugby League competition.^[6] In 2015, after moving to the Point Chevalier Pirates, he was selected for Auckland and also played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NSW Cup.^[7]^[8] Later that year he was signed by the Sydney Roosters.^[5]

He played for the Wyong Roos, the Roosters' reserve side, in the NSW Cup in 2016.^[7]

Afu switched codes to rugby union in 2017, representing Tonga A in the Pacific Challenge tournament where he scored two tries against Junior Japan,^[9] and in the Americas Pacific Challenge, scoring two tries against Canada A.^[10]^[11]^[12]

He signed with Austin Elite Rugby to play in the 2018 inaugural season of Major League Rugby in the United States.^[10]

^ "Tongan center adds to expanding Austin Elite roster". This is American Rugby. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^ Football Feast for League Fans this Weekend Archived 15 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine rleague.com, 23 October 2010
^ "New Zealand Kiwis v Tonga - IRLF Test Match(Paki Afu)". Zimbio. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
^ ^a ^b "A man on a mission after lost years". New Zealand Herald. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
^ "Team Lists Round 13 - July 5" aucklandleague.co.nz
^ ^a ^b "ISP Report: Warriors v Wyong". New South Wales Rugby League. 27 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Auckland Representative Side Named to Face NZ Maori Residents". Retrieved 21 May 2015.
^ "Fiji Warriors win Pacific Challenge in style". World Rugby. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Tongan center adds to expanding Austin Elite roster". This is American Rugby. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
^ "Paki-Afu celebrates Tonga-call-up in style". Ellis rugby. 16 October 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
^ "Paki Afu: International". It's Rugby. 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.