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After 4 years away a familiar face is returning to Welford Road
By Nathaniel Cope
Leicester Tigers will welcome back one of their former stalwarts for next season after four years away.
RugbyPass can reveal that Steve Mafi has agreed to return to Welford Road.
The 28-year-old made 85 appearances for the Tigers and played in two losing Aviva Premiership finals, before finally lifting the trophy in the 2012/13 season, when they beat Northampton Saints 37-17 to claim the club's 10th English title.
An LV Cup winner in 2012 also, Mafi left the club in 2014 for family reasons to return to Australia. He played at Greater Sydney Rams and Super Rugby for Western Force.
After spent two seasons Down Under, he joined Top 14 side Castres. He signed a two-year deal with the French club, with an option of a third year, but instead he's returning to England.
Mafi was part of a Castres side which thumped Leicester 39-0 in the Champions Cup in January, when he came off the bench.
Leicester are currently fifth the Premiership, two points ahead of seventh-placed Bath, with only the top six qualifying for the Champions Cup.
Mafi is the fourth forward recruited by head coach Matt O'Connor for next season - Scotland international flanker David Denton and second row Will Spencer join from Worcester Warriors, while backrow Guy Thompson will move from Wasps.
Mafi will hope the move to Leicester will help him secure his spot in Tonga's team at next year's World Cup. He failed to make the squad in 2011, but made three appearances in the 2015. Mafi certainly has pedigree, his grandfather Sione Mafi Pahulu captained Tonga.
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Latest Comments
ALB has had many a start in big matches for ABs and has never put his stamp on the game Tupaea got the start in 22 against Ireland before injured and he struggled a tad too neither had outstanding SR seasons one thing Jordie an Reiko ain’t leaking breaks and tries at all in multiple big games
Go to commentsI’ll see how Aus go against Scotland and Ireland!
They have beaten the worst Welsh side ever and pipped England in OT
They do look attractive to watch I admit but got smashed by the Welsh scrum last week
Look at the areas of focus for Razor and Ryan
Huge player development in the ABs and ABs XV
One might argue that the only scrum more dominant is the Boks? And that wasn’t clear in SA until the bomb squad came on
The bench has been somewhat rectified since then
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