Tongan back row Tomalati ‘Michael’ Ma’afu played in Major League Rugby between 2024-2025. He represented Anthem RC for his entire MLR career.

Born in Tonga and raised in Arizona, Ma’afu attended Saguaro High School where he was a First-Team All-Conference and All-Region defensive lineman as a senior, helping Saguaro to a 5th consecutive AIA 4A state title in 2017. Saguaro did not have a rugby program so Ma’afu played with Arcadia High School as a junior, competing on state, regional, and national level teams, having picked up rugby while young in Tonga.

Ma’afu continued his football journey into university at the University of Idaho as a defensive tackle in 2018, before transferring to Carroll College in Montana, where he continued to play football. Ma’afu is no stranger to rugby, having played with Tempe Rugby Club as well as the San Diego Legion Academy, and signed with Anthem RC just before their inaugural season in 2024. He started 5 of his 6 games for Anthem in 2024, completing 55 tackles and running for just shy of 300m gained in possession. On January 21st, 2025, Anthem RC announced their complete 2025 roster which included Tomalati Ma’afu, who returns for a second season in MLR.