Taranaki midfielder and Hurricanes Wider Squad Training member Lifeimi Mafi was called up to the full Hurricanes squad in 2006 as an injury replacement for Conrad Smith who sustained a season ending broken leg in the second round.

Two weeks later Mafi travelled to South Africa to replace an injured Tana Umaga but he never took the field.

After his Hurricanes stint, Mafi played a full season for Taranaki in the Air New Zealand Cup before heading overseas to join reigning Heineken Cup champions Munster at the end of 2006. In his first season in Ireland he appeared 19 times for Munster in the Magners League and in the defence of their European title, and was playing for them in 2008 alongside former Hurricane Doug Howlett and played against the All Blacks in November. He played a full part in Munster’s season in 2009/10, and again in 2010/11 - passing the milestone of 100 games for his adopted Irish province.

Mafi was brought up in Manawatu and made his first class debut out of Palmerston North in 2002, representing Manawatu again in 2003 and playing a full NPC Second Division season at centre. This was followed by his move west to Stratford and First Division union Taranaki, where a highlight was lining up at second five-eighth against the British and Irish Lions in 2005.

Mafi spent two seasons with the New Zealand U21s in 2002 and 2003 and played for the New Zealand Sevens team variously between 2003-2005.