Tonga Rugby League World Cup coach Kristian Woolf’s former life as boxing star Afro Savage

BOXER Afro Savage used to knock out opponents in a north Queensland boxing tent — now he’s delivering a knockout blow to his Rugby League World Cup rivals.

Tonga rugby league coach Kristian Woolf. Source: Supplied

BOXER Afro Savage used to knock out opponents in a north Queensland boxing tent — now he’s delivering a knockout blow to his Rugby League World Cup rivals.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the extraordinary tale of Savage, otherwise known as Tonga coach Kristian Woolf.

Woolf, 42, used to fight as the original Afro Savage in the famous Fred Brophy boxing troupes around far north Queensland in his late teens and early 20s.

He collected $100 a bout to help pay the bills while studying to become a schoolteacher. Now he’s leading a Tongan team into the quarter-finals backed by the passion of their families and a $30-a-day per diem.

Woolf knows all about hard times. He’d fight inside local circus rings in places like Cloncurry, Mt Isa and Hughenden.

He would be forced to flee the country towns for fear of being accosted by miffed locals if there was ever a discrepancy over a result or money.

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Tonga rugby league coach Kristian Woolf. Source: Supplied

He spent much of his youth though fighting members of the public inside Brophy’s tents, much like the days of Jimmy Sharman’s famous boxing troupe.

It was Brophy who gave Woolf his fighting nickname, due to his then curly hair.

“I remember the name Afro Savage. He’s now coaching in the World Cup? Well I’ll be buggered,” Brophy said.

Penrith coach Anthony Griffin, who gave Woolf a job as an assistant during their time together at the Brisbane Broncos, rates Woolf highly.

“Kristian is a real tough person, being an ex-boxer,” Griffin told The Daily Telegraph. “He used to fight in the old circus rings; at the old country shows that used to travel around.

“He is from Mt Isa. Up in Hughenden, tough country, out the back there, he used to float around there when he was younger and going to university, fighting for $100 a fight to pay the bills.

“He tells tales when they used to take the truck there and make a run for it because the locals were going to ambush them. I am probably telling tales out of school.

“But he can go in the ring. I have seen him fight. Ask him about Afro Savage and see if he laughs.”

Woolfe fought as Afro Savage in the famous Fred Brophy boxing troupe.

Brophy still travels with his troupe around north Queensland. Setting up rings this year at Kilkivan, Burnett Heads, Roma, Barcaldine, Clifton, Birdsville, Wynnum, Mt Isa and Cracow.

“He is an Australian outback legend and fourth generation showman. He runs the world’s travelling boxing troupe, challenging all comers,” his Facebook page reads.

Generally, fights would take place on canvas mats in the middle of the tent with no ropes. Anyone from the public could a challenge Brophy’s fighters, and many did after several beers. Not many took out Savage.

Woolf laughed when reminded about his Afro Savage days but preferred not to comment.

“I don’t want to be quoted — I’d rather stories be about the players,” Woolf said.

Tongan assistant coach David Furner, himself a handy pug, reckoned Woolf would be a handful in the ring.

“He used to spar the Brisbane boys,” Furner said. “You can see it when the coaching staff train. He’s pretty handy.”

Just as Afro could fight, Woolf can coach.

Now leading the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup after stints with the Cowboys’ under-20s, Woolf is quickly establishing himself as a future NRL coach.

Kristian Woolf with the World Cup trophy.

With Furner and fellow assistant David Tangata-Toa, who is also rising through the coaching ranks, Woolf’s staff have Tonga playing a physical yet attractive style of football.

“I would like to (coach in the NRL) at some stage, definitely,” Woolf said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Griffin rates Woolf, saying: “He’s a really good communicator and gets on really well with the young guys. He is very analytical without over-coaching.

“He had a lot to do with those younger guys coming through at the Cowboys — Michael Morgan, Jason Taumalolo, Kyle Feldt. He was their under 20s coach for a couple of years.

“He has a really good football brain as well. He didn’t have a playing profile so he doesn’t get the attention a lot of other coaches do but he’s a very good football coach.”

Originally published as Tonga Rugby League World Cup coach Kristian Woolf’s former life as boxing star Afro Savage