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Tea Ropati
Tea Ropati
Personal information
Full name	Tea F. Ropati
Born	September 7, 1964 (age 45)
	Auckland, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	183cm
Weight	93kg
Position	Centre, Five-eighth
Club
Representative
	Source: RLP

Tea Ropati (born 7 September 1964 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former rugby league player.

Tea is a member of the large Ropati rugby league family that includes fellow league players Joe Ropati, John Ropati, Iva Ropati, union player Romi Ropati and SKY league commentator Peter Ropati.

[edit] Early Years

Tea played for both the Mangere East Hawks and Otahuhu Leopards in the Auckland Rugby League competition. He was a Junior Kiwi in 1983.^[1]

During the 1987 season Tea played for Auckland alongside three of his brothers; John, Joe and Peter.^[2]

This feat was bettered in the 1991 season when all four of them, plus brother Iva, twice lined up for Mangere East in the Auckland Rugby League competition.^[2]

[edit] Professional career

He started his professional career with the Newcastle Knights in 1988 before moving to England. Playing for St Helens RLFC he made a name for himself as a Centre/Five Eighth who kicked goals. He also won the 1992/3 British First Division player of the year award.

In 1995 he returned home to join the new Auckland Warriors in the First Australian Rugby League premiership. He was the Warriors player of the year in 1995. He stayed with the Warriors for four seasons before retiring after the 1998 season.

[edit] International

Ropati represented the New Zealand Kiwis between 1986 and 1997 and also played for Western Samoa at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.

[edit] Charity

Ropati participated in the charity boxing event Fight for Life on several occasions during the early 2000s.

[edit] Rape trial

On 21 January 2008 Ropati began a trial in Auckland on charges of rape and unlawful sexual connection, to which he pleaded not guilty.^[3] The woman stated she awoke in a car near Victoria Park. "I remember coming to. I remember an angry face over me. It was an angry, twisted face. I remember being in pain."^[4] Ropati was married at the time, and although he admitted the sexual connection, he stated in that it was consensual.

On 31 January 2008 a jury found him not guilty on all six charges.^[5] Multiple rugby league personalities defended the character of Ropati in court including the Mad Butcher Peter Leitch.

[edit] References

^ Richard Becht. A New Breed Rising: The Warriors Winfield Cup Challenge. Auckland, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 1-86950-154-3. p.183
^ ^a ^b Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1869710908
^ David Eames (21 January 2008). "League star in sex case named". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10487960.
^ "Footballer Tea Ropati accused of rape". The Daily Telegraph. 21 January 2008. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/top-footballer-accused-of-rape/story-e6freuy9-1111115365541.
^ Andrew Koubaridis (31 January 2008). "Ropati not guilty on all charges". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489572.

[edit] External links

[0] Richard Becht. A New Breed Rising: The Warriors Winfield Cup Challenge. Auckland, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 1-86950-154-3. p.183

[coffey-1] Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1869710908

[2] David Eames (21 January 2008). "League star in sex case named". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10487960.

[3] "Footballer Tea Ropati accused of rape". The Daily Telegraph. 21 January 2008. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/top-footballer-accused-of-rape/story-e6freuy9-1111115365541.

[4] Andrew Koubaridis (31 January 2008). "Ropati not guilty on all charges". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10489572.

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