# Inoke Afeaki
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Inoke_Afeaki
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Inoke_Afeaki.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inoke_Afeaki
> Source revision: 1350779274
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|Tongan rugby union footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|7|12}}
| birth_place = [Tofoa](/source/Tofoa), [Tongatapu](/source/Tongatapu)
| height = {{convert|1.98|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|115|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| nickname =
| occupation =
| ru_currentposition =
| ru_currentteam =
| ru_position = [Lock](/source/Lock_(rugby_union)), [Flanker](/source/Flanker_(rugby_union))
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| years1 = 1993–96
| years2 = 1997–98
| years3 = 1999–01
| years4 = 2002–04
| years5 = 2005–07
| years6 = 2007–09
| years7 = 2009–11
| clubs1 = [Wellington](/source/Wellington_Rugby_Football_Union)
| clubs2 = [Ricoh](/source/Ricoh_Black_Rams)
| clubs3 = [Wellington](/source/Wellington_Rugby_Football_Union)
| clubs4 = [Secom Rugguts](/source/Secom_Rugguts)
| clubs5 = [Scarlets](/source/Scarlets)
| clubs6 = [Grenoble](/source/FC_Grenoble)
| clubs7 = [Saint-Étienne](/source/CA_Saint-%C3%89tienne_Loire_Sud_Rugby)
| apps1 =
| apps2 =
| apps3 = 89
| apps4 =
| apps5 = 50
| apps6 = 40
| apps7 = 24
| points1 =
| points2 =
| points3 = 85
| points4 =
| points5 = 20
| points6 = 5
| points7 = 5
| superyears1 = 1996
| superyears2 = 1999–01
| super1 = [Hurricanes](/source/Hurricanes_(Super_rugby_franchise))
| super2 = [Hurricanes](/source/Hurricanes_(Super_rugby_franchise))
| superapps1 = 4
| superapps2 = 31
| superpoints1 = 0
| superpoints2 = 5
| provinceyears1 =
| province1 =
| provinceapps1 =
| provincepoints1 =
| repyears1 = 1995–07
| repteam1 = [Tonga](/source/Tonga_national_rugby_union_team)
| repcaps1 = 24
| reppoints1 = 15
| coachyears1 = 2010-2011
| coachyears2 = 2011-2012
| coachyears3 = 2012-2017
| coachteams1 = [Saint-Étienne](/source/CA_Saint-%C3%89tienne_Loire_Sud_Rugby)
| coachteams2 = [Poneke RFC & WRFU](/source/Wellington_Rugby_Football_Union)
| coachteams3 = [Singapore Rugby Union](/source/Singapore_national_rugby_union_team)
| university = [Victoria University of Wellington](/source/Victoria_University_of_Wellington)
}}
'''Inoke Afeaki''' (born 12 July 1973 in Tofoa, Tongatapu) is a [Tonga](/source/Tonga)n former [rugby union](/source/rugby_union) footballer, coach and administrator. He has played professionally in New Zealand, Japan, Wales, France and Tonga, and coached in France, New Zealand and Singapore.[{{cite news |title=SINGAPORE: A SMALL ISLAND WITH BIG AMBITION |work=State News Service |author=Rich Freeman |date=20 May 2014 |via=Gale OneFile}}] His usual playing position was at lock.
==Career==
Afeaki has played for the [Wellington Lions](/source/Wellington_Lions) in the [National Provincial Championship](/source/Air_New_Zealand_Cup), the [Hurricanes](/source/Hurricanes_(Super_rugby_franchise)) in the international [Super 14](/source/Super_14) competition, [Secom](/source/Secom_Rugguts) and [Ricoh](/source/Ricoh_Black_Rams) in Japan before joining the [Scarlets](/source/Scarlets) in Wales. He represented [Grenoble](/source/FC_Grenoble) in the French [Pro D2](/source/Pro_D2). He captained [Tonga](/source/Tonga_national_rugby_union_team) at the [2003 Rugby World Cup](/source/2003_Rugby_World_Cup). He signed for Saint Etienne in 2009.[1]
In 1986-90, he attended St Bernard's College in Wellington, in 1991 and 1992 he played for the Wellington under 19 and 21 teams respectively. He played for Petone from 1992 through to 1999, and the Wellington Lions from 1993–96 and again from 1999-01. In 1994–95 he played part of the season in Italy with [Rugby Viadana](/source/Rugby_Viadana) in the First division of the Italian championship alongside [Tana Umaga](/source/Tana_Umaga), who later became captain of the [All Blacks](/source/All_Blacks).[{{Cite web |last=Belli |first=Andrea |date=2023-08-25 |title=La storia di Viadana: piccola città, grande rugby |url=https://carborugby.com/2023/08/25/viadana-piccola-citta-grande-rugby/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |language=it-IT}}] He made his Super 12 debut for the Hurricanes in 1996,[{{cite news |title=Afeaki sweeps into Hurricanes squad |work=The Dominion-Post |author=David Ogilvie |date=8 December 1995 |page=34 |via=EBSCOHost}}] in the first season. He played in Japan from 1997–98,[{{cite news |title=Standard of domestic rugby higher - Afeaki |page=41 |work=The Dominion-Post |author=Jim Kayes |date=12 August 1998 |via=EBSCOHost}}] then returned to the Hurricanes from 1999 to 2001. He went back to Japan in 2002 and played there until 2005.
===International career===
He made his debut for Tonga on May 26, 1995 in a match against [France](/source/France_national_rugby_union_team), coming on as a replacement in [Pretoria](/source/Pretoria) during the [1995 Rugby World Cup](/source/1995_Rugby_World_Cup). He also played in two other matches during the tournament, in the starting line-up, against [Scotland](/source/Scotland_national_rugby_union_team) and [Côte d'Ivoire](/source/C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire_national_rugby_union_team).
He next played for Tonga in November 2001 when he started against Scotland at [Murrayfield Stadium](/source/Murrayfield_Stadium). He captained them in their next match against [Wales](/source/Wales_national_rugby_union_team), in which he scored a [try](/source/Try_(rugby)). He retained the captaincy for the following season and played four matches for Tonga in 2002. Following captaining them in a number of internationals in 2003, he then led Tonga at the [2003 Rugby World Cup](/source/2003_Rugby_World_Cup) in Australia. In 2004 he was the captain of the [Pacific Islanders rugby union team](/source/Pacific_Islanders_rugby_union_team) that played a series of matches against southern nations. In an incident during the match against Côte d’Ivoire he tackled Max Brito, an ivoirian player, who broke his neck in the following Ruck that collapsed on him.[{{cite web | url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-10-04-max-brito-at-end-of-tether-after-12year-struggle/ | title=Max Brito at end of tether after 12-year struggle | date=4 October 2007 }}]
Afeaki was coach and technical director at [Singapore Rugby Union](/source/Singapore_Rugby_Union) from 2012 to 2017, before taking sports administration positions in Tonga.[{{Cite web |date=24 July 2017 |title=Afeaki appointed director of operations for Team Tonga |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1053167/afeaki-appointed-director-of-operations-for-team-tonga |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}]
== Personal life ==
Afeaki's family moved from Tonga to [Petone](/source/Petone) when he was three. He now lives in Wellington and works as the site Health and Safety Officer at LT McGuinness Ltd.[{{Cite web |date=2022-07-20 |title=Wanted for the All Blacks, but not as a New Zealand citizen – why Inoke Afeaki is running for election |url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/page/wanted-for-the-all-blacks-but-not-as-nzer-why-inoke-afeaki-is-running-for-election |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=Newsroom |language=en-AU}}]
Afeaki is married to Kanoko, who is Japanese. The couple has two sons.