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Former USA u20 lock Nafi Ma’afu made his long-awaited professional debut on Friday night. The 22-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, was a 54th minute replacement for French Pro D2 side Perpignan in their 24-20 victory over Valence Romans at Stade Aimé Giral.
Ma’afu has patiently waited for his opportunity. He signed on with Perpignan in the spring of 2017 after impressing with the Junior All-Americans and has been a regular in their development side since. Prior to his arrival in France, Ma’afu spent six months in New Zealand on a development trip joint-funded by the Golden Eagles and the USA Rugby Foundation.
Perpignan are currently in second place on the Pro D2 table, one point behind league-leaders Vannes. The top two teams on the table will advance directly to the Pro D2 semi Finals, with the champions earning automatic promotion to the Top 14. The runner-up can also achieve promotion by defeating the 13th-place finisher in the Top 14.
