Jack Afamasaga
Encyclopedia
Jack Taualii Afamasaga is a New Zealand professional rugby league
player of Samoan heritage, currently playing for the Melbourne Storm
in the National Rugby League
competition. He also spent time playing with the Parramatta Eels
, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
and Cronulla Sharks
, with stints in the local Queensland Cup and in France. His main position is second row.
Afamasaga is a cousin of Hurricanes
and All Blacks
player Ma'a Nonu
. He is eligible to represent Samoa
.
in his youth, playing for the 1st XV team at Waiopehu College in Levin
(the same high school attended by former All Black Carlos Spencer
) and working his way up through several representative teams before he was eventually selected by the Wellington Hurricanes in their schoolboy team.
In 2002, at age 18, and after several seasons in the Hurricanes' youth system playing in the centres Afamasaga was spotted by Parramatta Eels
rugby league scout Mark Horo
and was signed to the Australian club on a development deal.
, impressing with his skill, power and pace. Afamasago made his first grade debut during the 2004
season against the Wests Tigers
at Leichhardt Oval
. He then went on to play five games for the club and showed glimpses of the great potential he possessed eventually going on to win the Eric Grothe
Rookie of the Year award.
During the next two seasons with the club, Afamasaga played another six games but could not hold down a permanent first-grade position.
but signed for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
instead, deciding to chase a regular first grade spot. He appeared in the 2007 Grand Final, which Manly lost to Melbourne.
However, after failing to crack a regular first-grade spot in 2008 (only playing 2 matches) he has now been released by Manly.
for the rest of the 2011 season. Signed before the June 30 deadline, Afamasaga is now free to play with the Victorian side and their feeder team on the Cronulla Sharks. He had recently been playing in France for Racing Club Lescure-Arthès XIII
and played in the Queensland Cup
for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in 2010.
side for the Pacific Cup
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player of Samoan heritage, currently playing for the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
competition. He also spent time playing with the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
and Cronulla Sharks
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
, with stints in the local Queensland Cup and in France. His main position is second row.
Afamasaga is a cousin of Hurricanes
Hurricanes (Super rugby franchise)
The Hurricanes are a New Zealand professional Rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in the Super Rugby competition...
and All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
player Ma'a Nonu
Ma'a Nonu
Ma'a Allan Nonu is a professional Samoan rugby union player from New Zealand. Nonu plays for the Wellington Lions in the ITM Cup and the New Zealand All Blacks...
. He is eligible to represent Samoa
Samoa national rugby league team
-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
.
Childhood and early career
Afamasaga originally began playing Rugby unionRugby 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...
in his youth, playing for the 1st XV team at Waiopehu College in Levin
Levin, New Zealand
Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is 90 kilometres north of Wellington, 50 kilometres south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua....
(the same high school attended by former All Black Carlos Spencer
Carlos Spencer
Carlos James Spencer is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who currently plays at fly-half for the Lions in the Super 14 and formerly for the New Zealand All Blacks. He is well known for his flamboyant, attacking play and ball handling skills. He has signed to play for the Lions for 2010 and 2011...
) and working his way up through several representative teams before he was eventually selected by the Wellington Hurricanes in their schoolboy team.
In 2002, at age 18, and after several seasons in the Hurricanes' youth system playing in the centres Afamasaga was spotted by Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
rugby league scout Mark Horo
Mark Horo
Mark Gregory Horo is a New Zealand rugby league coach and former footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A New Zealand international representative, he played club football in New Zealand for Te Atatu and in Australia for Parramatta and Wests before finishing his career back in Auckland with the Warriors...
and was signed to the Australian club on a development deal.
Parramatta Eels
He began playing in the junior grades at the Parramatta club during the 2003 seasonNational Rugby League season 2003
The 2003 NRL premiership was the 96th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the sixth run by the National Rugby League. Fifteen teams competed, with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles returning in place of their failed joint-venture club, the Northern Eagles...
, impressing with his skill, power and pace. Afamasago made his first grade debut during the 2004
National Rugby League season 2004
The year 2004 NRL season was the 97th season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the seventh run by the National Rugby League. Fifteen clubs competed for the Telstra Premiership...
season against the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
at Leichhardt Oval
Leichhardt Oval
Leichhardt Oval is a football stadium in Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia. It is a home ground for the Wests Tigers rugby league team. The stadium has a nominal capacity of 20,000, with recorded highest crowd figures of 23,000 in the 1981 KB Tooth final South Sydney Rabbitohs versus...
. He then went on to play five games for the club and showed glimpses of the great potential he possessed eventually going on to win the Eric Grothe
Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships...
Rookie of the Year award.
During the next two seasons with the club, Afamasaga played another six games but could not hold down a permanent first-grade position.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Afamasaga was offered a new deal at the Eels at the completion of the 2006 NRL seasonNational Rugby League season 2006
The 2006 NRL season was the 99th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the ninth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs competing for the 2006 Telstra Premiership...
but signed for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
instead, deciding to chase a regular first grade spot. He appeared in the 2007 Grand Final, which Manly lost to Melbourne.
However, after failing to crack a regular first-grade spot in 2008 (only playing 2 matches) he has now been released by Manly.
Melbourne Storm
Afamasaga was signed to a trial deal with the Melbourne StormMelbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
for the rest of the 2011 season. Signed before the June 30 deadline, Afamasaga is now free to play with the Victorian side and their feeder team on the Cronulla Sharks. He had recently been playing in France for Racing Club Lescure-Arthès XIII
Racing Club Lescure-Arthès XIII
Racing Club Lescure-Arthès XIII are a French Rugby League club based in Lescure-d'Albigeois, Tarn in the Midi-Pyrénées region. The club plays in the French Elite One Championship, having been promoted from Elite Two in 2011.-Current Squad:...
and played in the Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in 2010.
Representative career
In 2009 he was named as part of the SamoanSamoa national rugby league team
-Notable Players & Coaches:* John Ackland * Steve Kaiser Coach 1990 - 1994* Steve Kaiser 1986* Afi Ah Koui 1986* Andrew Ah Koui 1986* George Apelu 1986* Fa'ausu Afoa circa-1995* Wing Afoa 1990 - 1994* Isaak Ah Mau circa-2006...
side for the Pacific Cup
2009 Pacific Cup
-Semifinals:-Third place Playoff:-Final:-Telecast Details:The Pacific Cup will be shown in the UK, Australia, and throughout the Pacific.*In Australia all matches will be broadcast by NRL.com while the Nine Network will show a one hour highlight package each weekend.*In Britain matches will be...
.
External links
- Wynnum Manly Seagulls profile
- Jack Afamasaga official player profile
- Jack Afamasaga NRL player profile
- "Interview with Jack Afamasaga", by Ben Horne 27/12/2006, retrieved February 12, 2007