Krystian Mapapalangi
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 4 November 2002 Burwood, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (14 st 9 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Five-eighth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 16 February 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Krystian Mapapalangi (born 4 November 2002) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League.
Background
Mapapalangi was born in Burwood, New South Wales. He is of Tongan descent.[2]
Playing career
Early years
Mapapalangi played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs' Harold Matthews Cup team in 2018 and the S. G. Ball Cup side in 2019.[3] In 2020, he joined the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles' S. G. Ball Cup team.[3] Mid-way through 2021, he joined the Newcastle Knights.[4]
2022
Ahead of the 2022 season, Mapapalangi signed a 2-year contract to be a development player with the Knights' NRL squad.[5] In August, his contract was extended until the end of 2024 and upgraded into the top 30 squad.[6] In round 23 of the 2022 NRL season, he made his NRL debut for the Knights against the Canberra Raiders.[4]
2024
Mapapalangi played 4 matches for the Knights in 2024, after not playing any throughout 2023. He parted ways with the club at the end of the season.[7]
2025
On 2 April, Mapapalangi had signed a train and trial contract with the Wests Tigers.[8]
2026
On 22 January 2026 it was reported that he had signed for Castleford Tigers in the Super League[9]
References
- ^ "Krystian Mapapalangi - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ "Where we're from: Our cultural heritage" – via www.newcastleknights.com.au.
- ^ a b "Krystian Mapapalangi". 13 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Knights v Raiders Round 23 NRL team list". Newcastle Knights. 16 August 2022.
- ^ "2021 signings tracker: Contracts by club". National Rugby League. 24 January 2022.
- ^ "2022 NRL Signings Tracker: Hunt extends at Sharks; Amone locked in with Red V". National Rugby League. 16 August 2022.
- ^ Chalk, Ethan Lee (17 September 2024). "Knights confirm departures of six players". Zero Tackle.
- ^ "Wests Tigers NRL roster update". Wests Tigers. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ Matthew Shaw (22 January 2026). "Castleford Tigers land NRL centre in latest major recruitment move". Love Rugby League.