Deacon Manu
Encyclopedia
Deacon Tehanakore Manu is a New Zealand-born Fiji
an rugby union
footballer. He plays as a prop for the Scarlets in the Celtic League
, having signed from the Chiefs
in 2006.
, Taranaki, Manu began his rugby career with Waikato
, the province immediately to the north of Taranaki. He made his debut for Waikato in 1999, playing against a Japanese XV. He made a further 65 appearances for Waikato during his time there. In 2001, he was selected for the Waikato Chiefs Super 12 squad. He made his debut for the Chiefs in their opening game of the 2001 Super 12 season
, a 42–23 loss to the Waratahs
. Manu played for the Chiefs for a further five years before being signed by the Llanelli Scarlets in the summer of 2006. He made his competitive debut for the Scarlets on 8 September 2006, coming on as a 29th-minute substitute for John Davies in a 31–17 victory over the Glasgow Warriors
.
Manu has international experience playing for the New Zealand Māori
, having played against the British and Irish Lions
during their tour of New Zealand
in 2005. He has also played for the New Zealand Universities and Under-21 sides.
In the lead-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup
, Manu expressed his availability for selection to the Fijian selectors. Although he had played all of his representative rugby for New Zealand teams up to that point, Manu is eligible for Fiji
through his Fijian mother. Manu made his debut for Fiji in 2009 against Scotland
and captained Fiji in their game against Australia
in June 2010. He later returned for the 2010 end of year tour
and was handed the captaincy of the Fiji team again.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He plays as a prop for the Scarlets in the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, having signed from the Chiefs
Chiefs (Super rugby franchise)
The Chiefs are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys...
in 2006.
Career
Born in/at New PlymouthNew Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, Taranaki, Manu began his rugby career with Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
, the province immediately to the north of Taranaki. He made his debut for Waikato in 1999, playing against a Japanese XV. He made a further 65 appearances for Waikato during his time there. In 2001, he was selected for the Waikato Chiefs Super 12 squad. He made his debut for the Chiefs in their opening game of the 2001 Super 12 season
2001 Super 12 season
The 2001 Super 12 season was the sixth season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2001, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semi finals,...
, a 42–23 loss to the Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
. Manu played for the Chiefs for a further five years before being signed by the Llanelli Scarlets in the summer of 2006. He made his competitive debut for the Scarlets on 8 September 2006, coming on as a 29th-minute substitute for John Davies in a 31–17 victory over the Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
.
Manu has international experience playing for the New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
, having played against the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
during their tour of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2005. He has also played for the New Zealand Universities and Under-21 sides.
In the lead-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, Manu expressed his availability for selection to the Fijian selectors. Although he had played all of his representative rugby for New Zealand teams up to that point, Manu is eligible for Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
through his Fijian mother. Manu made his debut for Fiji in 2009 against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and captained Fiji in their game against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in June 2010. He later returned for the 2010 end of year tour
2010 end of year rugby tests
The 2010 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals in the northern hemisphere, will see Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and tour the northern hemisphere. Test matches will also be arranged involving the various Pacific island teams and other non-Tier 1...
and was handed the captaincy of the Fiji team again.