Of the many fine halfbacks vying for the All Black test spot in the mid 1990s none was better equipped, physically at least, to have become a top international performer than Ofisa Tonu'u.

Known by the nickname "Junior" to distinguish him from his father of the same name, Tonu'u was built like the proverbial outhouse. Though only of medium height he was more than 90kg in weight and he possessed a long, accurate pass and was both a powerful runner and kicker.

But these attributes were offset by a tactical judgement that too often bordered on the naive. Tonu'u became notorious for his wayward option taking and this meant he never quite reached the heights many had expected.

Though of Samoan parentage, Tonu'u was Wellington-born and was thoroughly grounded in the New Zealand rugby system, graduating from the Rongotai College 1st XV into the strong Poneke club. He was an outstanding Wellington Colts player in 1990 but in the capital never quite gained full recognition, being limited to just 14 representative matches for Wellington in 1991-92.

Tonu'u took advantage of his heritage to become an international player for Manu Samoa in the 1992-93 season and in particular he had a fine tour of New Zealand in 1993, playing in five matches including the test against the All Blacks at Eden Park in 1993.

In this season Tonu'u had transferred to Auckland and it then became clear that despite his involvement with Samoa there was still interest in him at All Black level. So in 1994, benefitting from the vague international eligibility regulations then in place, Tonu'u, who had played 14 matches including five tests for Manu Samoa, renounced his Samoan allegiance and made himself available for the All Blacks.

In 1994 he was in the New Zealand XV which played France and was in the final All Black trial and in 1995 he was again on the national short list, appearing for the North in the revived interisland match and in other preliminary matches used to help select the World Cup squad for South Africa.

With the cup squad halfbacks Graeme Bachop and Ant Strachan ending their careers in New Zealand Tonu'u was eventually chosen for the All Blacks for the end of year 1995 tour of Italy and France along with the young Justin Marshall. But a foot injury which had plagued him in the latter part of the season saw him fail a final fitness test and he was replaced just before the team departed by Stu Forster.

Tonu'u had to wait until the 1996 tour of South Africa to gain his All Black jersey. He went on the tour to Africa but played in only three of the midweek fixtures.

In 1997 he understudied Marshall in the domestic test programme and came on as a substitute in internationals against Fiji and then against Australia in Dunedin. However, he was overlooked for the end of year tour of Ireland, Wales and England.

In 1998, with Marshall injured, Tonu'u played the two early season tests against England and came on as a replacement for Marshall in a tri-nations test against the Springboks at Athletic Park. That was to be the end of his All Black career and in the next couple of seasons he was ousted as the backup to Marshall by Mark Robinson, Byron Kelleher and even Rhys Duggan.

Tonu'u was the first string halfback in the Blues in each of the first three seasons of the Super 12, featuring in the championship winning sides of 1996-97. But in 1999 he was rated behind Robinson and Steve Devine for the Blues squad and the final nine of his 41 Super 12 games were as a draft player to the Hurricanes.

In 2000 Tonu'u was lost to New Zealand rugby when he accepted overseas contract's which ended when he returned to the Ponsonby club in Auckland for the 2004 club season. For all the frustrations associated with Tonu'u he still achieved some mighty deeds. In 1999 he took his Auckland tally of matches to 71 and with that union he enjoyed some of his most cherished triumphs, being in the side which won five NPC titles in 1993-96 and again in 1999 and in the team which won took the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato in 1996.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Ofisa Francis Junior Tonu'u

BORN

Tuesday, 3 February 1970 in Wellington

AGE

40

PHYSICAL

1.78m, 94kg

POSITION

Halfback

LAST SCHOOL

Rongotai College

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Ponsonby

PROVINCE

Auckland

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Tuesday, 6 August 1996
v Boland Invitation XV at Worcester
aged 26 years, 185 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 14 June 1997
v Fiji at Albany
aged 27 years, 131 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 25 July 1998
v South Africa at Wellington
aged 28 years, 172 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

5 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

3 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

8 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

0pts

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

10pts (2t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

10pts (2t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

957

The All Black Games that Tonu'u played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1996

 6 Aug vs Boland Invitation XV at Worcester 32-21  

 20 Aug vs Western Transvaal at Potchefstroom 31-0  

 27 Aug vs Griqualand West at Kimberley 18-18  

1997

 14 Jun vs Fiji at Albany 71-5 (+) 

 16 Aug vs Australia at Dunedin 36-24 (+) 

1998

 20 Jun vs England at Dunedin 64-22 (-) 

 27 Jun vs England at Auckland 40-10  

 25 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 3-13 (+) 

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Boland Invitation XV, 6 Aug 1996

1

-

-

-

5

vs Western Transvaal, 20 Aug 1996

1

-

-

-

5

Totals

2

0

0

0

10

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Australia

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

England

2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Fiji

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

South Africa

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Totals

5

4

0

1

0

0

0

0

0