 Afoa during the New Zealand Christchurch visit, September 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Ioane Fitu Afoa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 October 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 121 kg (267 lb; 19 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | St. Kentigern College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ioane Fitu "John" Afoa (born 16 September 1983) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. His position of choice is at prop. Afoa currently plays for the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
Afoa was a student at Auckland's Papakura High School, then St. Kentigern College, where he played first XV rugby alongside fellow All Blacks Joe Rokocoko and Jerome Kaino.[1]
Afoa played for Auckland between 2002 and 2011.
Afoa played for the Blues and made his debut in 2004 against the Brumbies. He made 101 appearances with the team between 2004 and 2011.
Afoa played for Ulster in the Pro12 from 2011 until 2014.
On 6 December 2013, Afoa officially joined Gloucester Rugby in the English Aviva Premiership on a four-year contract worth £400,000 per season. This made him one of the highest-paid players in the Premiership and the third highest-paid player in European rugby.[2][3]
On 20 January 2018, it was confirmed that Afoa would leave Gloucester to join local rivals Bristol ahead of the 2018-19 season.[4]
On 2 May 2022, it was confirmed that Afoa would leave Bristol after four seasons to travel to France to join Pro D2 side Vannes from the 2022-23 season.[5]
On the 27 May 2023, Afoa answered a call from Crusaders coach Scott Robertson due to the Crusaders mounting injury crisis for front row forwards. Afoa flew from back from France, where he had been playing, and debuted as the tight head prop for the Crusaders match against the Waratahs. Afoa became the oldest ever super rugby player at the age of 39 years and 233 days.
Afoa has moved through a number of international representative sides. In 1999, Afoa made the New Zealand U16 team, the youngest national representative team. Through 2000 and 2001, Afoa had played in the more senior New Zealand Schools' side. Moving steadily through the age grades, he was a member of the New Zealand under-19 teams of 2002 and 2003.
In both 2003 and 2004, Afoa was part of the New Zealand Under 21 Rugby World Championship team.[1] The New Zealanders won the tournament both years. In 2003 Afoa was one of four kiwis named in the IRB's team of the tournament.
In 2005 Afoa was selected for the All Blacks Tri-nations squad. Despite this, he never took the field in that competition and didn't earn his first test cap until the end-of-year tour. In November 2005, Afoa finally became the All Black number 1062 when he started against Ireland at Lansdowne Road.
In 2010, Afoa was experimented to be used at hooker. The same year against Wales, Afoa scored his first test try showing some great running for a prop with a 30-metre dash to the try line.
Afoa's test career ended after the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He played 36 tests, 30 as a substitute.[1]
Afoa was appointed scrum coach at Bristol Bears from the 2021–22 season. He would also continue his playing duties.[6]
