Finau Maka
Birth name | Finau Sosefo Maka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 10 July 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Longoteme, Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 242 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Sacred Heart College Auckland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Isitolo Maka (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Finau Maka (born 10 July 1977) started his playing career for Auckland Rugby Union and NZ age group teams. He played over 50 games for Auckland NPC Team and the Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders before leaving to play for the Stade Toulousain club in French Top 14. Whilst at Toulouse he helped them win the 2003, 2005 and 2010 Heineken Cups, as a replacement in 2003 and starting in the 2005 final.[2][3] He played in two Rugby World Cups for Tonga and was one of the stars of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2011 he led his country to beat France in the biggest upset in Rugby World Cup history. France went on to almost beat the All Blacks in the final.
In December 2012 he was convicted in France of slavery after forcing a migrant worker to live in a shed and work in conditions that equated to slavery.[4]
Rugby
[edit]Maka made his international debut in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, in Tonga's first pool game against the United States of America. He opened the scoring with a try in the second minute.[5]
In 2008 he was selected for the pacific islanders' tour of Europe.[6]
In 2011 he captained Tonga's world cup squad.[7]
Boxing
[edit]In 2014, Maka fought against David Letele for the Duco Event's Corporate World Title. The day before the fight at the weigh in both fighters got into a fight. Letele grabbed Maka on the throat pushing him back, Maka retaliated by tackling him to the ground, however the fight was broken off quickly.[8] Maka lost by TKO in the first round.[9]
Professional boxing record
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Dilworth shock MAGS for biggest First XV win in school history". 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Toulouse regain European crown". BBC. 24 May 2003. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "Stade Francais 12-18 Toulouse". BBC. 22 May 2005. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ "Rugby player fined over 'modern slavery' case". Stuff. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Tonga savour first win in Rugby World Cup". RNZ. 14 September 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Pacific Islanders Rugby Union side named for end of year tour". RNZ. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Tonga ready for World Cup". RNZ. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Brown Buttabean unleashes on Maka during stand-off | Māori Television". Maoritelevision.com. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Boxing: Parker too powerful for Pettaway". New Zealand Herald. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
Dave "The Brown Buttabean Letele" knocked out former Tonga Rugby World Cup captain Finau Maka in the first round of a corporate fight.
- ^ "BoxRec - Finau Maka". boxrec.com.
External links
[edit]- Finau Maka at ESPNscrum
- 1977 births
- Living people
- Tongan rugby union players
- Tongan expatriate rugby union players in France
- Tonga international rugby union players
- Pacific Islanders rugby union players
- Stade Toulousain players
- New Zealand rugby union players
- Tongan emigrants to New Zealand
- Rugby union players from Tongatapu
- Rugby union flankers
- Rugby union number eights
- Tongan male boxers
- Ponsonby RFC players
- Provence Rugby players
- New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in France
- Hurricanes (rugby union) players
- People educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland
- Highlanders (rugby union) players
- Auckland rugby union players
- Blues (Super Rugby) players
- 2007 Rugby World Cup players
- 2011 Rugby World Cup players