Malakai Fekitoa

2.1. Background and education

Fekitoa's journey in rugby began in Tonga. After gaining experience playing for the Tonga 7s on a tour to New Zealand, he was offered a rugby scholarship, which marked a pivotal moment in his life. This scholarship enabled him to move to New Zealand, where he enrolled at Wesley College, a renowned institution for developing rugby talent. This period at Wesley College provided him with the foundational training and opportunities that would shape his future professional rugby career. He stands at 74 in ^{(187 cm)} and weighs 218 lb ^{(99 kg)}.

3.1. Early career in New Zealand

Fekitoa began his professional journey in New Zealand, making his debut for Auckland in the ITM Cup in 2012. During his time with Auckland, he made 12 appearances, scoring 3 tries. His promising performances led to him being signed by the Blues for the 2013 Super Rugby season. However, he only made a single appearance for the Blues that year, playing against France. Following this, he transitioned to the Highlanders for the 2014 Super Rugby season. He quickly became a crucial player for the Highlanders, and was a key member of the squad that famously won the Super Rugby championship in 2015.

3.2. European club career

In July 2017, Fekitoa confirmed his move to European rugby, signing a two-year contract with French Top 14 side Toulon. His tenure in France was followed by a move to England in January 2019, when it was announced he had signed with English Premiership Rugby club Wasps for the start of the 2019-20 season.

Following his time with Wasps, Fekitoa moved to Ireland to join United Rugby Championship club Munster on a two-year contract, beginning with the 2022-23 season. He made his competitive senior debut for Munster on 17 September 2022, in a 20-13 defeat to Welsh side Cardiff in the first round of the 2022-23 United Rugby Championship. A significant moment in his Munster career was featuring off the bench in the club's historic 28-14 victory against a South Africa XV at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 10 November 2022. Despite having signed a two-year deal, Fekitoa departed Munster at the end of the 2022-23 season. His final game for the province was a memorable one, as he started in Munster's 19-14 win against the Stormers in the final of the 2022-23 United Rugby Championship on 27 May 2023, securing a significant title for the club.

After leaving Munster, Fekitoa signed a three-year contract with Italian United Rugby Championship club Benetton, commencing from the 2023-24 season. He made his debut for Benetton in Round 2 of the 2023-24 season, playing against his former team, Munster.

4.1. New Zealand

Fekitoa became eligible for selection for the New Zealand national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, after completing three years of post-education residency in New Zealand. After his residency period was completed, he was selected as a rookie in the New Zealand squad for the June 2014 test series against England. The coach, Steve Hansen, had previously expressed interest in Fekitoa during the Super Rugby season. Fekitoa made his All Blacks debut as a replacement player in the first test of that series, which New Zealand won 20-15. When first-choice centre Conrad Smith was injured and ruled out of the third and final test of the series, Fekitoa stepped into the starting XV. His performance in this match garnered significant praise, with the Herald on Sunday noting that "the All Blacks coach has found the most elegant of solutions for Conrad Smith's back-up, one who carries more of an attacking threat than the veteran centre."

Fekitoa was again selected for the New Zealand squad in 2014 for The Rugby Championship. He was initially named as a reserve for the first test against Australia, but was called into the starting XV when Conrad Smith's wife went into labor. He was a key member of the New Zealand side that won the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

In 2016, Fekitoa became a regular starter for the All Blacks, forming a midfield partnership with Ryan Crotty for the Wales series in June. However, his form became inconsistent later in the year, leading him to be omitted from matches against Argentina and South Africa. He eventually lost his starting spot to Anton Lienert-Brown, coming off the bench for the final Bledisloe Cup match and the first fixture against Ireland that year. Due to an injury to Crotty, Fekitoa regained his starting spot for the subsequent two tests, with Lienert-Brown moving to inside centre. During these two games, against Italy and Ireland, Fekitoa scored 2 tries. However, he received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle against Ireland, which resulted in a citation and suspension for the final test match of the year.

Fekitoa was not initially selected for the All Blacks squad for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. However, he was called up for the third test match after Sonny Bill Williams received a red card for a shoulder block hit on Lions wing Anthony Watson in the second test. Fekitoa played his final test match for New Zealand on 8 July 2017, in the third and final test against the British & Irish Lions, coming off the bench to replace Ngani Laumape. He earned a total of 24 caps for New Zealand during his All Blacks career.

4.2. Tonga

In 2022, Malakai Fekitoa was selected for the Tongan squad to compete in the 2022 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup. This selection was made possible by recent amendments to World Rugby's eligibility rules, which allowed players to switch national allegiance after completing a stand-down period. Fekitoa also previously served as captain of the Tonga 7s team in June 2021.

He made his debut for the Tonga national team on 2 July 2022, in a match against Fiji, which Tonga lost 36-0. Fekitoa was a key member of the Tongan squad that participated in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where he played in 3 matches and achieved a tackle success rate of 59%. As of October 2024, he has earned 11 caps for Tonga.

5.1. Team honours

Fekitoa's career has been marked by several prestigious team titles:

• With the Highlanders, he won one Super Rugby championship in the 2015 season.
• As a member of the New Zealand All Blacks, he was part of the squad that triumphed in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
• With Munster, he secured one United Rugby Championship title in the 2023 season.

5.2. Philanthropic activities

Beyond his accomplishments on the rugby field, Malakai Fekitoa is recognized for his compassionate philanthropic efforts. Following the devastating 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami in January 2022, Fekitoa, whose family still resides in Tonga, launched a heartfelt fundraising appeal to provide much-needed aid to his home country. His appeal successfully raised in excess of 50.00 K GBP. His club at the time, Wasps, actively supported his initiative by donating 20% of the match ticket revenue from their fixture against Saracens on 30 January 2022, further amplifying the impact of his humanitarian work.