Iva Lewis Ropati is a 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...

 international player and High School

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 Principal.

Early years

He grew up playing for 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...

 before moving to the Te Atatu Roosters

Te Atatu Roosters

The Te Atatu Roosters is a rugby league club based in Te Atatu. The Roosters compete in the Fox Memorial, the premier division in Auckland Rugby League...

 where he won a Fox Memorial premiership. He later played for 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...

 before moving to England. During the 1991 season Iva was able to twice line up alongside four of his brothers for Mangere East

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 the Auckland Rugby League

Auckland Rugby League

The Auckland Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region and was the owner of Carlaw Park, once the "spiritual home of rugby league in New Zealand".-History:The Auckland Rugby League was...

 competition. Iva played alongside Joe

Joe Ropati

Joe Ropati is a New Zealand rugby league player who represented his country in nine Test Matches, including in games that counted towards the 1988 World Cup. Ropati is part of a large rugby league family that includes internationals Iva, Peter, Tea and rugby union international Romi...

, John, Peter and Tea

Tea Ropati

Tea Faa'tea Ropati is a former rugby league player who represented New Zealand and Western Samoa...

.

Professional career

When he moved to England, Ropati played for the Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....

, Featherstone Rovers

Featherstone Rovers

Featherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century...

 and Oldham

Oldham Roughyeds

Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....

. He still holds the Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....

 club record for most tries in a season. In 1994 he moved to Australia to play for the Parramatta Eels

Parramatta Eels

The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...

 in the NSWRL premiership. He finished his career with the new Auckland Warriors in 1996 and 1997. In 1998 he returned to the Auckland Rugby League

Auckland Rugby League

The Auckland Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region and was the owner of Carlaw Park, once the "spiritual home of rugby league in New Zealand".-History:The Auckland Rugby League was...

 competition, playing with the Manurewa Marlins

Manurewa Marlins

The Manurewa Marlins are a rugby league club based in Manurewa, New Zealand. The Marlins compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. Between 2000 and 2003 they competed in the national Bartercard Cup competition.-Notable players:...

. As an import player, he represented Taranaki

Taranaki rugby league team

The Taranaki rugby league team are New Zealand rugby league team that represents the Taranaki Rugby League. They have been nicknamed the Rockets, Sharks and Wildcats.-1908:...

 in the 1998 National Provincial Competition.

Representative career

In 1993 Ropati was selected for the New Zealand Kiwis and played in four test matches.

Later years

He was Principal at the recently renamed One Tree Hill College. But is now Principal at Howick College

Howick College

Howick College is a co-educational secondary school in New Zealand situated in the Auckland suburb of Howick. -House system:There are six houses in Howick College, each house is then subdivided into 11 tutor groups....

, East Auckland. In 2009 he was one of six New Zealanders awarded a Sir Peter Blake

Peter Blake (yachtsman)

Sir Peter James Blake, KBE was a New Zealand yachtsman who won the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Jules Verne Trophy – setting the fastest time around the world of 74 days 22 hours 17 minutes 22 seconds on catamaran Enza, and led his country to successive victories in the America’s Cup...

 emerging leadership award.

In 2009 he was appointed to the new Counties Manukau Zone board after the restructuring of the New Zealand Rugby League

New Zealand Rugby League

The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....

.

Family

His family is famous in rugby league circles and includes brothers Joe

Joe Ropati

Joe Ropati is a New Zealand rugby league player who represented his country in nine Test Matches, including in games that counted towards the 1988 World Cup. Ropati is part of a large rugby league family that includes internationals Iva, Peter, Tea and rugby union international Romi...

, Peter

Peter Ropati

Peter Ropati is a New Zealand former rugby league player and commentator who played professionally for Leigh.Ropati is from a large rugby league family that includes brothers Joe, Iva, Tea and Romi.-Playing career:...

, Tea

Tea Ropati

Tea Faa'tea Ropati is a former rugby league player who represented New Zealand and Western Samoa...

 and Romi

Romi Ropati

Romi Ropati is a retired rugby union player best known for his time with the Highlanders Super Rugby franchise...

.