Manu Vatuvei posts on social media after release from prison

Rugby league great Manu Vatuvei has been released from prison today, posting videos on Instagram this morning.

A parole board hearing earlier this month confirmed Vatuvei would be released, with special conditions attached.

The former Warriors legend was sentenced to three years and seven months in jail last year, after pleading guilty to importing methamphetamine.

He shared two videos on Instagram including driving home from prison.

It was a remarkable fall from grace for Vatuvei — who for a long time was one of the Warriors’ highest profile and highest paid players.

Vatuvei was arrested in 2019, along with three others, including his brother Lopini Lautau Mafi, charged with importing, possessing and supplying meth, after a lengthy police sting.

The trial revealed the downward spiral that Vatuvei’s life had taken, following his injury-enforced retirement in 2018.

As part of his integration back into society, the New Zealand Warriors have offered him a voluntary mentoring role.

That news has sparked a mixed response from the fanbase, especially given the severity of his crimes and the destructive impact of class-A drugs in the community.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission