George Latu
Date of birth (1965-01-01) January 1, 1965
Place of birthApia, Samoa
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight201 lb (91 kg)
UniversityUniversity of Canterbury
Notable relative(s)Victoria Latu
Occupation(s)Barrister and Solicitor
Rugby union career
Position(s) Tight head Prop
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1992
1996		 Canterbury University
Invercargill		 ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1994-1995 Vaimoso ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1992
1996		 Canterbury
Southland		 4
4		 (4)
(0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1993-1994
1994-1995		  Tonga
 Samoa
10
(0)

Matafeo George Latu (born January 1, 1965) is a Samoan lawyer and former dual international rugby union player who has played as a prop for both the Samoa national rugby union team and the Tonga national rugby union team. Since ending his rugby career he has worked as a lawyer in Samoa. He is the brother of lawyer and diplomat Leota Kosi Latu,[1] and the husband of former Samoan Attorney-General Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu

Early life

Latu was born to a Tongan father and Samoan mother. He was educated at New Plymouth Boys High School in New Zealand and later at the University of Canterbury, where he studied law.[2] After graduating he returned to Samoa to take up a state solicitor role in the Samoa Attorney General's Office.

Rugby career

Latu played for the university of Canterbury rugby team while at university. He played a few games at representative level for Canterbury, and played the 1996 NPC season for Southland in Invercargill.[3] He later captained the Vaimoso Rugby Club.

From 1993 to 1994 he played six matches for the Tonga national rugby union team.[2] In 1994 he was selected for the Samoa national rugby union team, playing his first match against Tonga on 4 June 1994. He was selected for the Manu Samoa squad for the 1995 Rugby World Cup,[4] where he played three matches, replacing injured rugby legend Papali’itele Peter Fatialofa. His last international cap was during the Manu Samoa tour of the British Isles in 1997.

Since retiring as an international Latu has served as an honorary solicitor for the Samoa Rugby Union and as a Judicial Officer for the International Rugby Board. In 2015 he was elected secretary of the Samoa Rugby Union, and from 2016 to 2018 was its vice-chairman. In 2016 he was appointed as Samoa’s representative on the Oceania Rugby Executive Board[2][5] and attended the World Rugby Congress in London in 2018.

Latu was a state solicitor in the murder trial of Leafa Vitale and Toi Aukuso Cain for the political assassination of Luagalau Levaula Kamu in 1999.[6][7] He later served as a District Court judge.[8]

He is currently the Managing Partner of Latu Lawyers, where he works with his wife Taulapapa Brenda Heather-Latu.[9] He was a legal representative for the FAST party during the 2021 Samoan constitutional crisis, and assisted with the swearing-in of the Samoan Parliament on 24 May 2021.[10] In July 2021 the HRPP regime attempted to have him prosecuted over his role in the ceremony,[11] but the issue was resolved by the Samoan Court of Appeal's July 2021 ruling that the ceremony was legal and binding.[12]

He is the holder of the following chiefly titles : Togia from Lefaga; Matafeo from Asaga, Punafelutu from Lano and Namulauulu from Fogapoa.

References

  1. ↑ Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop (1998). Tamaitai Samoa: Their stories. Suva: University of the South Pacific. p. 140.
  2. 1 2 3 "A new beginning for Samoan rugby". Samoa Observer. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "George Latu". New Zealand Rugby History. 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  4. ↑ Mick Cleary (21 May 1995). "Rugby World Cup '95: The four pools of plenty - Mick Cleary runs the rule over the sixteen squads in pursuit of the ultimate goal, and finds it difficult to back against Australia making a successful defence of the Webb Ellis Trophy". The Observer – via Gale OneFile.
  5. ↑ "Sport: Samoa appoints new Oceania Rugby rep". RNZ. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Alison Horwood. "Judge to rule on fate of accused politicians". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  7. ↑ Alison Horwood. "Death-row politicians await mercy". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Samoan public servant fined for crashing ministerial vehicle". RNZ. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "Taulapapa new Chair of Oceania Rugby Judicial Committee". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  10. ↑ Lagi Keresoma (25 May 2022). "One Year Later – FAST Govt's Swearing-in Under a Tent". Talamua. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Samoa police asked to move against FAST". RNZ. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Samoa court declares FAST party new government". RNZ. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
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