{{Short description|American rugby union player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Maka Unufe | image = | caption = | full_name = Kisi Keomaka Unufe | birth_date = {{birth date and age text|September 28, 1991}} | birth_place = Chula Vista, California, U.S. | hometown = Provo, Utah, U.S. | height = 6 ft 1 in | weight = 210 lb<ref name="rugbytoday.com" /> | headercolor = lightsteelblue | module = {{Infobox rugby biography | embed = yes | position = Center | amatyears1 = 2011 | amatteam1 = {{nowrap|Utah Warriors}} | years1 = 2022 | clubs1 = Houston SaberCats | apps1 = 7 | points1 = 5 | clubupdate = December 21, 2021 | repyears1 = | repteam1 = | repcaps1 = | reppoints1 = | repsevensyears1 = 2011– | repsevensteam1 = United States | repsevenscomp1 = 255 (367) | ru_sevensupdate = March 22, 2024<ref name="its rugby profile">{{cite web |title=Maka UNUFE, Wing |url=https://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/maka-unufe-25350.html |website=its rugby |access-date=March 22, 2024}}</ref> }}}}
'''Kisi Keomaka "Maka" Unufe''' (born September 28, 1991) is an American rugby union player. He has played over a decade with the United States national rugby sevens team.<ref name="USA Rugby - Maka Unufe - Men's Sevens">{{cite web |url=https://www.usarugby.org/player/maka-unufe/ |title=Maka Unufe - Men's Sevens |publisher=USA Rugby |accessdate=March 11, 2017}}</ref> He also played for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR) as a center.
==Early years== Unufe is from Provo, Utah, United States.<ref name="Deseret News - 9 Aug 2016 - Provo native Maka Unufe went from high school dropout to Olympian inspired by his family">{{cite news |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865659825/Provo-native-Maka-Unufe-went-from-high-school-dropout-to-Olympian-inspired-by-his-family.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810152451/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865659825/Provo-native-Maka-Unufe-went-from-high-school-dropout-to-Olympian-inspired-by-his-family.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 10, 2016 |title=Provo native Maka Unufe went from high school dropout to Olympian inspired by his family |last=Donaldson |first=Amy |date=August 9, 2016 |work=Deseret News |accessdate=March 11, 2017}}</ref> Unufe previously played American football as a wide receiver at Provo High School. Unufe starred for the Utah Warriors at the Club 7s Nationals in August 2011, earning a nomination to the All-Tournament team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1652%3A7s-nationals-all-tournament-team&catid=72%3Aclub-sevens&Itemid=98 |title=7s Nationals All-Tournament Team |website=rugbymag.com |access-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013034307/http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1652%3A7s-nationals-all-tournament-team&catid=72%3Aclub-sevens&Itemid=98 |archive-date=October 13, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He was then selected to play at the National All-Star Championships.<ref name="thisisamericanrugby1">{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2011/12/tiar-awards-youth-player-of-year-maka.html |title=TIAR Awards: Youth Player of the Year, Maka Unufe |publisher=This Is American Rugby |date=December 16, 2011 |accessdate=July 27, 2016 |archive-date=May 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515052532/http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3276%3Afull-time-contracts-already-paying-off&catid=45%3Ausa-sevens-men&Itemid=202 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Club career== Unufe signed with the Houston SaberCats for the 2022 Major League Rugby season.<ref name="Houston">{{cite web |title=Houston signs Maka Unufe, re-sign front row trio |url=https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2021/12/16/houston-signs-maka-unufe-re-sign-front-row-trio/ |website=americas rugby news |date=December 16, 2021 |access-date=December 20, 2021}}</ref>
==U.S. national rugby sevens team== Although only 19 years old at the time, Unufe made his international debut with the United States national team playing as a wing in the 2011 Pan American games against Chile in October 2011, scoring a try in his first game. He was the team's top try scorer at the Pan Am games with 5 tries, helping the U.S. national team win a Bronze medal.<ref name="rugbymag1">{{cite web |url=http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3027:2011-rugbymag-awards&catid=122:rugbymag-reader-news&Itemid=347 |title=2011 RUGBYMag Awards! |website=rugbymag.com |access-date=February 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716124217/http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3027:2011-rugbymag-awards&catid=122:rugbymag-reader-news&Itemid=347 |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the tournament, U.S. national team head coach Al Caravelli described Unufe as "phenomenal" and "a star in the making."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://utahwarriors.com/a-star-in-the-making/36/ |title=Archived copy |website=utahwarriors.com |access-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208032454/http://utahwarriors.com/a-star-in-the-making/36/ |archive-date=February 8, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In recognition of Unufe's rapid rise, Rugby Mag named Unufe the 2011 Men's Breakout Player of the Year,<ref name="rugbymag1"/> and This Is American Rugby named Unufe the 2011 Youth Player of the Year.<ref name="thisisamericanrugby1"/> Unufe made his Sevens World Series debut at the 2012 Wellington Sevens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3276%3Afull-time-contracts-already-paying-off&catid=45%3Ausa-sevens-men&Itemid=202 |title=Full-Time Contracts Already Paying Off? |website=rugbymag.com |access-date=January 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515052532/http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3276%3Afull-time-contracts-already-paying-off&catid=45%3Ausa-sevens-men&Itemid=202 |archive-date=May 15, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
With the arrival of speedsters Carlin Isles and Perry Baker, Unufe was moved to center.<ref name="rugbytoday.com">[http://www.rugbytoday.com/7s/injuries-breed-opportunity-eagles-limp-new-zealand "INJURIES BREED OPPORTUNITY AS EAGLES LIMP TO NEW ZEALAND"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202130616/http://www.rugbytoday.com/7s/injuries-breed-opportunity-eagles-limp-new-zealand |date=February 2, 2018 }}, Rugby Today, Pat Clifton, January 30, 2018.</ref> Unufe was named to World Rugby's Dream Team for the 2015 Wellington Sevens tournament, due to his "strong defensive plays and hard runs."<ref>{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2015/02/eagles-learn-vegas-draw-unufe-makes.html |title=Eagles Learn Vegas Draw, Unufe Makes Dream Team |publisher=This Is American Rugby |date=February 7, 2015 |accessdate=July 27, 2016 |archive-date=August 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826193532/http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2015/02/eagles-learn-vegas-draw-unufe-makes.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Unufe played for the U.S. at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the U.S. finished in ninth place. Unufe was a key piece of the U.S. comeback at the 2017 USA Sevens from a 0–19 deficit against Argentina to win 21–19.<ref>[http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2017/03/vegas-7s-men-comeback-propels-eagles.html "Vegas 7s Men: Comeback Propels Eagles Into Semi-finals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303225227/http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2017/03/vegas-7s-men-comeback-propels-eagles.html |date=March 3, 2018 }}, This Is American Rugby, March 4, 2017.</ref> Unufe missed the entire 2018–19 season due to a suspension for a banned substance that had been contained in a diet supplement he had taken.
Unufe competed for the United States at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2, 2022 |title=USA names rosters for Sevens World Cup |url=https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2022/09/01/usa-names-rosters-for-sevens-world-cup/ |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=Americas Rugby News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cahill |first=Calder |date=September 1, 2022 |title=Men's Eagles Sevens touch down in Cape Town as Rugby World Cup Sevens roster is confirmed |url=https://eagles.rugby/news/mens-eagles-sevens-touch-down-in-cape-town-as-rugby-world-cup-sevens-roster-is-confirmed-202291 |access-date=September 14, 2022 |website=eagles.rugby |language=en}}</ref> He competed for the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2, 2024 |title=USA Men's Roster for 2024 Paris Olympic Games |url=https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2024/07/02/usa-mens-roster-for-2024-paris-olympics-games/ |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=Americas Rugby News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dean |first=Taylor |date=July 1, 2024 |title=USA Rugby Announces Men's Olympic Rugby Sevens Team for Paris |url=https://eagles.rugby/news/usa-rugby-announces-mens-olympic-rugby-sevens-team-for-paris-202471 |access-date=July 26, 2024 |website=eagles.rugby |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== * United States national rugby sevens team * Rugby sevens at the Pan American Games
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{World Rugby Sevens Series player|mens/51613}} * [https://usa.rugby/players/maka-unufe/1352 Maka Unufe] at USA Rugby ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210616052918/https://www.usa.rugby/player/maka-unufe/ archive June 16, 2021]) * {{Team USA|new_id=maka-unufe-1247961|old_id=UN/Maka-Unufe|archive=20220801005640}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{Olympics.com|maka-unufe}} * [https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/maka-unufe_1950552 Maka Unufe] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
{{USA Men's Sevens squad 2024 Summer Olympics}} {{USA 2016 Summer Olympics Squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unufe, Maka}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Provo, Utah Category:United States international rugby sevens players Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic rugby sevens players for the United States Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in rugby sevens Category:Rugby union centres Category:Houston SaberCats players Category:American rugby sevens players Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:African-American rugby union players Category:Rugby union players from Utah Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Provo High School alumni Category:21st-century American sportsmen