Alamoni Liavaʻa

Tongan rugby union player

Rugby player

Alamoni Liavaʻa

Birth name

Epalahame Liavaʻa

Date of birth

1959 (age 64–65)

Place of birth

Tonga

Height

1,70 m

Weight

82 kg (181 lb)

School

Auckland Grammar School

Notable relative(s)

Sione Liavaʻa (brother)

Rugby union career

Provincial / State sides
Position(s)	Centre
Current team	--
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
	Hihifo Rugby Club^[1]		()
International career
Years	Team	Apps	(Points)
1979-1987	Tonga	15	((33))

Epalahame Liavaʻa, better known as Alamoni Liavaʻa (born circa 1959) is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as centre. He is known by his nickname "Moni"^[2]

Career

His first cap for Tonga was against England, in Nuku'alofa, on 1 June 1979. Between 1985 and 1987, Liava'a captained Tonga.^[3] He was also present in the 1987 Rugby World Cup squad, where he was the vice-captain.^[4] He played all the three pool stage matches and scored a conversion kick in the match against Wales. His last match for Tonga was also in that year's World Cup, against Ireland, in Brisbane. He also represented Tonga in rugby league at the 1986 Pacific Cup.^[5]

After career and deportation

In the 1993, years after his retirement as rugby player, Liavaʻa got involved with the drug trafficking business.^[6] He smuggled cocaine to New Zealand by stuffing it inside yams.^[2] He also had contacts with the Hawaii-based drug boss Richard "Tiki" Taumoepeau.^[7] After being caught by the New Zealand Police through wiretapping, Liavaʻa was put under surveillance and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and deported back to Tonga, where he lives a hermit-like lifestyle on the west of Tongatapu.^[2]

Personal life

He is the brother of the late Sione Liava'a, former chairman of the Tonga Public Service Commission.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

^ Tonga Rugby League 1986 Pacific Cup team Tonga National Rugby League
^ ^a ^b ^c Tony wall and Blair Ensor (6 November 2016). "Corruption in Paradise: From the Rugby World Cup, to cocaine smuggling, to life as a hermit". Stuff. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
^ "Deportation order upheld for leader of cocaine gang". NZ Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ Corruption in Paradise: From the Rugby World Cup, to cocaine smuggling, to life as a hermit stuff.co.nz
^ Tonga Rugby League 1986 Pacific Cup team Tonga Rugby League
^ GREGORY, ANGELA (18 March 2001). "Deportation order upheld for leader of cocaine gang". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
^ Tony wall and Blair Ensor. "Corruption in Paradise". Stuff. Retrieved 2 December 2020.