Maka Unufe
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| Place of birth | Provo, Utah | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 193 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Maka Unufe is an American rugby player who plays for the United States national rugby sevens team. Unufe is from Provo, Utah, United States. He previously played American football as a standout wide receiver at Provo High.
Rugby career
Unufe burst into the national rugby spotlight in 2011. Unufe starred for the Utah Warriors at the Club 7s Nationals in August 2011, earning a nomination to the All-Tournament team.[1] He was then selected to play at the National All-Star Championships.[2]
Although only 19 years old at the time, Unufe made his international debut with the United States national team 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.[3] Following the tournament, U.S. national team head coach Al Caravelli described Unufe as "phenomenal" and "a star in the making."[4] In recognition of Unufe's rapid rise, Rugby Mag named Unufe the 2011 Men's Breakout Player of the Year,[3] and This Is American Rugby named Unufe the 2011 Youth Player of the Year.[2]
Unufe made his Sevens World Series debut at the 2012 Wellington Sevens.[5]
Unufe was named to World Rugby's Dream Team for the 2015 Wellington Sevens tournament, due to his "strong defensive plays and hard runs."[6]
See also
- United States national rugby sevens team
- Rugby sevens at the Pan American Games
- Utah Warriors (rugby union)