Amato Fakatava

Amato Fakatava
アマトファカタヴァ
Date of birth	7 December 1994 (age 29)
Place of birth	Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Height	195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	118 kg (260 lb)
School	Tonga College; Timaru Boys' High School;
University	Daito Bunka University
Children	Talau Fakatava, Sosefo Fakatava
Rugby union career
Position(s)
Position(s)	Lock, Flanker, Number eight
Senior career
Years	Team
2019–	Black Rams Tokyo
	Correct as of 22 April 2023
International career
Years	Team
2023	Japan XV
2023–	Japan
	Correct as of 28 September 2023

Amato Fakatava (アマトファカタヴァ, Fakatava Amato, born 7 December 1994) is a Japanese rugby union player. Currently playing as number eight in the back row for the Black Rams Tokyo in the Japan Rugby League One, Fakatava also represents Japan at international level.

Early life

Fakatava was born on 7 December 1994 in Tonga.^[3] He attended Tonga College^[3] before being educated at Timaru Boys' High School in Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.^[1] After moving to Japan at 20-years-old, Fakatava studied at Daito Bunka University.^[1]^[4]

International career

Fakatava made his international debut for Japan on 22 July 2023 against Samoa in the Pacific Nations Cup. Japan lost 22–24 in Sapporo.^[5]

Fakatava was announced in Japan's 2023 Rugby World Cup squad on 29 August.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Amato Fakatava – J Sports". jsports.co.jp (in Japanese). J Sports. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Amato Fakatava – League One". league-one.jp. Japan Rugby League One.
^ ^a ^b ^c "アマトファカタヴァ – Amato Fakatava – Black Rams Tokyo". blackrams-tokyo.com (in Japanese). Black Rams Tokyo. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023.
^ "【日本代表】アマト・ファカタヴァ選手". nhk.or.jp (in Japanese). NHK. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023.
^ "ラグビー日本代表、サモアに２２－２４で競り負け強化試合３連敗…リーチマイケルが前半で退場" [Japan's rugby team lost their third consecutive training match, losing 22–24 to Samoa... Michael Leitch left the field in the first half]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 23 July 2023. ドームの屋内グラウンドでの試合で開始時の気温は２２度。日本は開始６分に代表初キャップのＡ・ファカタバ（ＢＲ東京）のトライで先制すると、相手のシンビン（１０分間の退場）で数的優位となった時間帯に、ＳＯ李承信（神戸）がＰＧを決めて加点した。前半３０分にナンバー８のリーチマイケルが危険なタックルで退場処分（レッドカード）となった日本は終了間際にサモアのトライとキックで追いつかれ、同点で折り返した。
^ "Japan name squad for Rugby World Cup 2023 - UPDATE". Rugby World Cup. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.

[JSPO-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Amato Fakatava – J Sports". jsports.co.jp (in Japanese). J Sports. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023.

[RLO-2] "Amato Fakatava – League One". league-one.jp. Japan Rugby League One.

[BRT-3] "アマトファカタヴァ – Amato Fakatava – Black Rams Tokyo". blackrams-tokyo.com (in Japanese). Black Rams Tokyo. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023.

[4] "【日本代表】アマト・ファカタヴァ選手". nhk.or.jp (in Japanese). NHK. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023.

[5] "ラグビー日本代表、サモアに２２－２４で競り負け強化試合３連敗…リーチマイケルが前半で退場" [Japan's rugby team lost their third consecutive training match, losing 22–24 to Samoa... Michael Leitch left the field in the first half]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 23 July 2023. ドームの屋内グラウンドでの試合で開始時の気温は２２度。日本は開始６分に代表初キャップのＡ・ファカタバ（ＢＲ東京）のトライで先制すると、相手のシンビン（１０分間の退場）で数的優位となった時間帯に、ＳＯ李承信（神戸）がＰＧを決めて加点した。前半３０分にナンバー８のリーチマイケルが危険なタックルで退場処分（レッドカード）となった日本は終了間際にサモアのトライとキックで追いつかれ、同点で折り返した。

[6] "Japan name squad for Rugby World Cup 2023 - UPDATE". Rugby World Cup. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.

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