Reds Rugby Rules Interviews Alex Mafi!!

Thank you Queensland for killing off Covid. Finally, the Reds have opened up their borders to visitors and I was able to watch training from the sidelines and do my first in-person interview for over a year! And what a great interview it was. I got to chat with Reds hooker, the powerful “back who’s been made into a forward”, Alex Mafi!



Even though he’s 51 games into his Super Rugby career, at 24, no doubt he still has many great years (and a few championships with the Reds) ahead of him! Also, I was interested to find out that all of his main rugby “heroes” growing up, were former or current Reds! Read on to find out who they were! 

Hey Alex, thanks for taking the time to catch up today!

No worries!

2 tries last week! It’s not often that forwards score one try - let alone two!!! 

Yeah I was really lucky out there Tommy, to be honest. Right place right time, I guess. One of them was really just a team try. I was behind a pack of, probably 12 boys in that mall... we had a few backs join in, so I was just a lucky one to have the ball.

The other one, that was probably the best moment of my career so far, to get that ball over the line at that time of the game, with the situation that we were in... especially considering I’d dropped the ball just minutes before that, I was really happy to get that second try.

You and BPA are a different type of forward. The Reds are lucky to have players that can run the ball too! Have you played a variety of positions over the years?

Yes. It’s really funny, I actually started off in the backs, Tommy. I started off playing inside centre and as I got older, I started eating and slowly made my way forward in the team. I made my way into the back row, I was playing number eight, and then just slipped into Hooker. I have an older brother, he was at Nudgee in the first XV, he was the hooker in grade 12 and I was in grade 8. They said to me you’ll most likely end up being a hooker and shifted me there in grade 8!

Congratulations on 50 games. How did it feel reaching that milestone during the season opener? 

Thanks Tommy! That was a really, really good way to start the season. Especially having it at home, in front of my family and friends, that was really special.

Last year I was in line to play my 50th two times, but both times I did my hammy [hamstring muscle] on the Thursday night before, so missed out through injury. We were about to play the Melbourne Rebels last year for the second round, I pulled my hammy and they said I’d be out for eight weeks. Then I made it back for the home semi, against the Rebels again and then I did the same thing again on the Thursday night! Then I did a bit of work over the off-season and the preseason to make it back and have my 50th in round one.

It was a great win against New South Wales. Good to get the cup for another year!

Yeah. That’s probably what was on my mind rather than it being my 50th. I had my mind more so on wanting to get that cup back and open up the season with a bit of silverware. I was really happy for us to win that Templeton cup.

How are you enjoying 2021 so far, overall? Also, how do you think you and the team have grown, since 2020?

Yeah I’m really enjoying 2021, it’s been a good year so far. No hiccups during the season so far, no Covid-19 stuff. And our team has grown a lot since last year. Everyone’s got a handful of caps out of their belt from last year, so everyone’s a little bit more experienced. The groups probably not as shy as they were last year, so they’re getting a lot more communication from each other.

Who were your rugby hero’s growing up?

When I was younger I would always go and watch my big brother’s first XV games from the sidelines. At that time, at Nudgee, James O’Connor was also playing. He was a freak... first year out of high school he went to play for the Western Force, then into the Wallabies. So he was a bit of a hero growing up. And now I’m playing with him, which is awesome. And during that time, when the Reds were so dominant - 2011-2010, Will Genia and Quade Cooper.

Can you tell us something else about yourself that not many people know?

Not many people know that I grew up in Mount Isa. Everyone thinks I’ve always been here in Brisbane, but I grew up in Mount Isa, my old man was working in the mines. I went to St Joseph’s Primary... and my first sport was soccer!

What will you be doing during bye weekend?

If the weather holds up, I’m planning to go fishing! I’m gonna go out to the Cape Waters on the top of Morton and see if I can find some fish out there. Sounds great. Enjoy the weekend off!

Thanks again Alex for your time!

No worries Tommy. Thanks for having me!