Lifeimi Mafi
Encyclopedia
Lifeimi Mafi is a Tongan 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...

 player, who currently plays for the Irish side Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

 in the RaboDirect Pro12
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

 and Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

.

Career in New Zealand

Initially, Mafi played his club rugby with Kia Toa
Kia Toa
Kia Toa RFC is a constituent club in the Manawatu province for rugby in New Zealand. It is based in the suburb of Awapuni, Palmerston North, and is one of the oldest clubs in Manawatu.Kia Toa is a Māori term, which can be translated as "Be Brave"....

 Rugby Football Club (Kia Toa is a Maori term which translates to "be brave"), based in the suburb of Awapuni, Palmerstown North. It is one of the oldest clubs in Manawatu, and produced former Munster fullback Christian Cullen
Christian Cullen
Christian Mathias Cullen is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand , for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and later Munster at first-class level. He was nicknamed the Paekakariki Express...

, Bristol Shoguns No. 8 Dan Ward-Smith
Dan Ward-Smith
Dan Ward-Smith was a professional rugby union player who plays at Number Eight for London Wasps. He can also cover Flanker and Second Row, making him a useful forward to have in the Wasps squad.-Career:...

, and former Black Ferns
Black Ferns
The Black Ferns is New Zealand's national women's rugby union team.- The name :The name comes from the use of the colour black and the silver fern as New Zealand sporting symbols...

 captain Farah Palmer. He represented Manawatu in 2003, before moving to Taranaki in 2004 in time to play 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...

 in 2005. He made 25 appearances for Taranaki, and was named their "Back of the Season" in 2006. Mafi was also called into the Hurricanes squad in 2006 as replacement for an injured Conrad Smith
Conrad Smith
Conrad Gerard Smith is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a midfield back and plays outside centre . He had been in many Taranaki age group teams. He moved to Wellington where he completed an LLB at Victoria University of Wellington...

, although he never took the field in a Super Rugby match.

Mafi represented New Zealand at U19 and U21 level. He played alongside players of the calibre of Ben Atiga
Ben Atiga
Benjamin Alo Charles Atiga is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and plays centre and fullback. Atiga is a product of Auckland Grammar School. He has currently played only 1 test for the All Blacks, he got called into the 2003 All Blacks World Cup squad as an injury replacement and got his cap...

, Jimmy Cowan
Jimmy Cowan
Quinton James Cowan is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He has been an All Black since 2004 where he made his debut during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France. Cowan was born in Gore and attended Gore High School...

, John Afoa
John Afoa
Ioane Fitu "John" Afoa is a New Zealand professional Rugby union player and plays prop and hooker. Afoa currently plays for Ulster after signing a two-and-a-half year deal after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.-Representative Rugby:...

, Stephen Donald
Stephen Donald
Stephen Donald is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays at First five-eighth or Second five-eighth. Despite an international career that had not lived up to expectations, Donald, aka 'The Beaver', kicked the winning penalty in the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 for New Zealand...

 and Sam Tuitupou
Sam Tuitupou
Sam Tuitupou is a New Zealand international rugby union player who plays for Sale in the Aviva Premiership. His position is Inside Centre....

 in the 2003 U21 RWC against Australia. Mafi was also part of the 2005 New Zealand Sevens squad which won the World Series, and played alongside Maori captain Liam Messam
Liam Messam
Liam Messam is a rugby union player who plays for Waikato in the ITM Cup and for the Chiefs in Super Rugby. He has also played for the New Zealand Maori in the 2006 Churchill Cup and was in the New Zealand sevens team that won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games...

, 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....

 Joe Rokocoko
Joe Rokocoko
Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko is a professional New Zealand rugby union player. Rokocoko is known for his speed and strength which has accounted for his prolific try strike rate...

, Isaia Toeava
Isaia Toeava
Isaia "Ice" Toeava , is a professional rugby union player in New Zealand.-Early career:Toeava attended De La Salle College, Mangere East, he played alongside Taniela Moa in the school's First XV rugby team. He represented New Zealand U-19 where he was named the IRB's Under-19 2005 player of the year...

 and Rudi Wulf
Rudi Wulf
Rudi Wulf is a rugby union footballer who plays for Toulon in the French Top 14. He joined Toulon on a two-year contract after being left out of the 2010 All Black Tri Nations squad. He previously played for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup and the Auckland-based Blues in the Super 14...

.

Munster

Mafi's first appearance in a Munster jersey came during the close, hard fought win against Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...

 at Welford Road
Welford Road Stadium
Welford Road is a rugby union stadium in Leicester, England and is the home ground for Leicester Tigers. It is located between Aylestone Road and Welford Road on the edge of the city centre...

 in Round 1 of the 2006/2007 Heineken Cup. Mafi was only on the pitch for a few minutes, but during that time he found himself at the wrong end of a trademark hit from Fijian centre Seru Rabeni
Seru Rabeni
Ratu Seru Raveive Rabeni is a Fijian rugby union player. He plays as a centre or wing for Stade Rochelais....

.However, Mafi's home debut in Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...

, in the trouncing of French outfit Bourgoin, was more impressive. Sprung from the bench with 10 minutes to go, a scintillating break and hand-off resulted in a try for substitute hooker Andy Kyriacou
Andy Kyriacou
Andy Kyriacou is an English-born Irish rugby union footballer who plays at hooker for Ulster Rugby. He has also represented Saracens, Leeds Carnegie , Sale Sharks as well as appearing for Munster Rugby on loan. On the international stage he has represented England at Under 21 level...

.

Mafi first got on the scoresheet himself in the narrow away defeat to the Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...

, a game in which he scored two tries.He also finished a crucial score in the HEC Round 5 game away to Bourgoin
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...

, and ran 50 metres to score his final try of the season at Musgrave Park
Musgrave Park, Cork
Musgrave Park is a rugby football stadium in the city of Cork, Ireland. The ground consists of four terraces, one stand, three tribunes, one jogging track, and two VIP stands on the west side. Musgrave has a capacity of about 9,251 and is situated on Pearse Road in Ballyphehane...

 in the end of season game against Glasgow
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...

. In all, Mafi scored 4 tries in 16 starts in his first season, but was criticised for his defensive decisions, often rushing out of the defensive line and leaving a space for opponents to exploit.

His second season in Munster was drastically more successful, even though he only managed 2 tries throughout. The presence of Maori Rua Tipoki
Rua Tipoki
Te Rua Reihana Tipoki brought up in Te Araroa in Gisborne, is a retired rugby union player who has played for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup and for the Auckland Blues in the Super 14. Tipoki also played for Irish provincial side Munster until 2009. His position was outside centre...

 had a calming effect on Mafi's defensive play, and the Munster centre partnership of Mafi-Tipoki was not exposed as much as the previous season's combination of Barry Murphy
Barry Murphy (rugby player)
Barry Murphy is an Irish rugby union footballer. He played for Munster in the Magners League and the Heineken Cup. He was a part of the Munster squad which won the Heineken Cup in 2006. He burst onto the scene in January 2006 when he put in a man of the match performance against the Sale Sharks in...

 and Mafi, or Trevor Halstead
Trevor Halstead
Trevor Halstead is a former South African rugby union footballer. His position is centre. He is 1.85m tall, weighs 100 kg, and won 6 caps for the Springboks...

 and Mafi. Despite only scoring 3 tries between them in the victorious 2007/2008 Heineken Cup campaign, their understanding of each other's play was crucial to Munster's success. Their attacking play was epitomised by Tipoki's score against Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...

 in Round 1 of the Heineken Cup at the Ricoh Arena
Ricoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...

, which was created by Mafi. Mafi himself scored a vital try away to ASM Clermont Auvergne
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...

, which secured a crucial losing bonus point which safe guarded Munster's passage to the quarter finals. Mafi and Tipoki formed Munster's vital centre partnership as they went on to capture their second Heineken Cup crown in May 2008.Mafi was nominated for Munster Player of the Year for the 2007/08 season, and in stark contrast to his debut in Welford Road, Toulouse
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...

 centre Yannick Jauzion
Yannick Jauzion
Yannick Jauzion is a French rugby union footballer. He plays at centre for Stade Toulousain and the French national team....

 and Gloucester hooker Andy Titterell found themselves at the end of crunching tackles from the Kiwi Centre. However, Tipoki's departure at the end of the 2009/09 season led to a short lapse in Mafi's form for Munster.

The 2010/11 season saw a great deal of competition for places in the Munster team, with Sam Tuitupou
Sam Tuitupou
Sam Tuitupou is a New Zealand international rugby union player who plays for Sale in the Aviva Premiership. His position is Inside Centre....

, Johne Murphy
Johne Murphy
Johne Murphy is an Irish rugby union footballer who plays Wing, Full-back or Centre for Munster Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12...

 and Keith Earls
Keith Earls
Keith Earls is an Irish rugby union footballer for Munster in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup. Internationally, Earls plays for Ireland, and he represented the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa. He plays as an Outside Centre, Winger or Fullback. He won a Munster...

 all competing with Mafi for Centre places, and as a result Mafi spent some of the season either on the bench or dropped completely. However, the latter half of the season saw a resurgence in his form on the pitch, and Mafi nailed down the Inside Centre position for himself. He often cooperated with Johne Murphy
Johne Murphy
Johne Murphy is an Irish rugby union footballer who plays Wing, Full-back or Centre for Munster Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12...

 or Keith Earls
Keith Earls
Keith Earls is an Irish rugby union footballer for Munster in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup. Internationally, Earls plays for Ireland, and he represented the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa. He plays as an Outside Centre, Winger or Fullback. He won a Munster...

, but, towards the end of the season, he played with Paul Warwick
Paul Warwick (rugby player)
Paul Warwick born 1 August 1981 in Australia is a rugby union player for Stade Francais who play their rugby in the Top 14 and Amlin Challenge Cup. He plays as a fly-half, Full-back or Centre. He has previously played for Australian side Manly and switched to Connacht in 2004...

 and Danny Barnes
Danny Barnes (rugby union)
Danny Barnes is an Irish rugby union footballer who plays for Munster Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12...

. The 2010/11 season also saw Mafi win his one hundredth cap for Munster, and he was an integral part of the team that triumphed over Ospreys and Leinster
Leinster Rugby
Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

 as Munster secured the 2010/11 Magners League.

Contrary to a rumour that refuses to go away, having played IRB 7s for New Zealand, Mafi will never be eligible to play for Ireland. He is however, considered an honorary Munsterman and is known as Larry "The Pedo" Murphy to the Thomond faithful. He formerly represented New Zealand 7's, U19's & U21's before joining the Irish province in October 2006. The New Zealand born centre is a holder of a Tongan passport, meaning he is not regarded as an "overseas" player in either the Magners League or Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

, which allows him take the field alongside Munster's other "overseas" players such as New Zealand's top international try scorer Doug Howlett
Doug Howlett
Douglas Charles Howlett is a professional New Zealand rugby union player of Tongan descent. He is primarily a wing but he has also covered fullback at national and international levels. He currently plays in Ireland with Munster. He is the brother of former Tongan rugby league international Phil...

.

Munster

  • Heineken Cup
    Heineken Cup
    The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...

     Winner : 2007/2008
    2007-08 Heineken Cup
    The 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World Cup...

  • Magners League Winner : 2008/2009
    2008-09 Magners League
    -Week 2:-Week 3:-Week 4:-Week 5:-Week 6:-Week 7:-Week 8:-Week 9:-Week 10:-Week 11:-Week 12:-Week 13:-Week 14:-Week 15:...

     & 2010/2011

External links

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