Esau Mann is a Tongan former rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 player who represented his country

Tonga national rugby league team

The Tonga national rugby league team is a national sporting side, representing Tonga in rugby league football. Rugby league is a popular sport in Tonga, and the national team has become one of the best performed nations in the world...

 at the 2000 World Cup

2000 Rugby League World Cup

The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...

. He is a cousin of fellow internationals Duane

Duane Mann

Duane Darrin Mann is a rugby league coach and former professional footballer who represented and captained both the New Zealand Kiwis and Tonga. He currently coaches the Bay Roskill Vikings in the Auckland Rugby League competition.-Personal life:...

 and George Mann

George Mann

George Mann CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University, Middlesex and England.-Life and career:...

.

Playing career

With the launch of the Lion Red Cup

Lion Red Cup

The Lion Red Cup was a New Zealand domestic rugby league competition that ran from 1994-1996 sponsored by brewers Lion Nathan. It was created due to the increase in public awareness of domestic rugby league due to the Auckland Warriors being accepted into the Winfield Cup. The competition was a...

 in 1994 Mann joined the Counties Manukau Heroes. He was part of the side that lost the 1994 Lion Red Cup grand final. Mann played in 73 Lion Red Cup matches over the three seasons of the competition, a record.

With the demise of the competition in 1997 Mann joined the Mangere East Hawks

Mangere East Hawks

The Mangere East Hawks are a rugby league based in Mangere, New Zealand. The Hawks compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-History:The club was founded in 1964, before this teams from the area had been attached to the Otahuhu club...

.

In 1999 Mann played for Auckland South in the national provincial championship.

With the inaugural season of the Bartercard Cup

Bartercard Cup

The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...

 in 2000, Mann joined the Otahuhu Leopards

Otahuhu Leopards

The Otahuhu Leopards are a rugby league club based in Otahuhu, New Zealand. The club competes in the Fox Memorial competition run by the Auckland Rugby League. They are coached by Peter Caccioppoli. Between 2000 and 2003 they also competed in the Bartercard Cup.The team are the current holders of...

 who lost the grand final.

Mann then spent 2001 in the Canberra Cup

Group 8 Rugby League

The Canberra Region Rugby League competition is more commonly known as the Canberra Raiders Cup, covering the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding New South Wales towns Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Yass. The competition is run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League and players are...

 competition, playing for the West Belconnen Warriors.

Representative career

Mann played for Tonga

Tonga national rugby league team

The Tonga national rugby league team is a national sporting side, representing Tonga in rugby league football. Rugby league is a popular sport in Tonga, and the national team has become one of the best performed nations in the world...

 for over eight years, including at the 1992 Pacific Cup

1992 Pacific Cup (rugby league)

-Section 2:An opening ceremony was held at Carlaw Park before the New Zealand Māori v Australian Aboriginies match.-Finals:-Semi Finals:-Third place playoff:-Final:...

 and at the 2000 World Cup

2000 Rugby League World Cup

The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...

.

Mann captained the New Zealand Residents in 2000.