Rugby player
| Date of birth | (1969-01-10)10 January 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Tonga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 22 April 2024(2024-04-22) (aged 55) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 252 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Heamani Lavaka (10 January 1969 – 22 April 2024) was a Tongan rugby union player who played as prop.
Career
Lavaka was first capped for Tonga during the match against Samoa in Apia, on 13 July 1996. He was also part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup roster coached by Jim Love, playing four matches in the tournament, with the match against Canada in Wollongong on 29 October 2003 being his last international test cap. At club level, Lavaka played the Australian Rugby Championship for Melbourne Rebels in the 2007–08 season.
Illness and death
Lavaka was hospitalised in Sydney, Australia in March 2024 due to internal bleeding and subsequently underwent a number of surgeries. He died on 22 April, at the age of 55.
References
- "Rugby - Fiche joueur Lavaka Heamani - Statistiques en club". www.itsrugby.fr. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
- "Tongan Rugby World Cup hero Heamani Lavaka dies aged 55: 'Heart-wrenching'". 7News. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
External links
- Heamani Lavaka international statistics at ESPN Scrum
- Heamani Lavaka at itsrugby.fr
| Tonga squad – 2003 Rugby World Cup | |
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| Forwards | |
| Backs | |
| Coach: Love | |