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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE
Monday, 31 August 2015
Tongan-born Onehunga Havili has become the fourth player to receive a scholarship in the Western Force’s Future Force academy.
Havili, who played the 2015 Pindan Premier Grade season with Palmyra, follows Kane Koteka (Wests Scarborough), Richard Hardwick (UWA) and Harry Scoble (UWA) as scholarship holders in the Future Force.
The Future Force is a full-time academy set up for outstanding local players as well as talent identified from across Australia and overseas, and provides a holistic approach to the players’ physical and rugby requirements, while also providing planning and support for their educational and vocational aspirations. It is designed to assist in fast-tracking players’ development for Asteron Life Super Rugby.
In 2015 – the programme’s first year of operation – the Future Force progressed Koteka into his Asteron Life Super Rugby debut when he came off the bench for the Western Force against the Hurricanes in February. He went on to play 10 matches during the Asteron Life Super Rugby season.
Havili, like Koteka, Hardwick and Scoble, is a current member of the Perth Spirit squad for this season’s Buildcorp National Rugby Championship.
“We brought ‘Hunga’ across from Auckland as a No.8 initially, however, through physical and speed testing and working in conjunction with his Palmyra club, we also see an opportunity for him on the wing,” Future Force Head Coach Tai McIsaac said.
“He’s a big, powerful athlete, who will benefit significantly from being in a full-time programme, and, like all our scholarship holders, we’d love to see him develop and progress to play Super Rugby with the Force.
“It was fantastic to see our first Future Force representative [Kane Koteka] make his Super Rugby debut for the Western Force this year. It was also important for the development of the programme to show that we are preparing these players for playing at that level.”
Havili says he’s excited to be a full-time member of the Future Force.
“It’s good to be able to train with the Force players which will help me out a lot,” he said. “I feel like I’m developing physically but I’m also learning a lot about the game, particularly about playing on the wing. Tai has been talking to me after each game and giving me feedback which has been really good.
“I’m really excited to get my first Perth Spirit game this season and I’d love to play for the Force one day. I just want to play hard and push for that opportunity.”
You can make a difference by contributing and helping fund a scholarship in the Future Force. All donations are made through the Australian Sports Foundation and are tax deductible. Click here to donate now.
Profile
Name: Onehunga Havili
Born: 16/02/1996, Tofoa (Tonga)
Position: No.8/Wing
Club: Palmyra
Height: 188cm
Weight: 113kg
Representative Rugby: 2015 Perth Spirit, 2014 Auckland Schoolboys, 2013-2014 Auckland East Under 18, 2011-2012 Auckalnd East Under 16, 2010 Tonga Under 14
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