After moving to Wellington in 1971 Tamati took up rugby league, joining the Petone Panthers club. He later played for the Upper Hutt Tigers and the Randwick Kingfishers. He made the Junior Kiwis in 1973. A Wellington representative, Tamati made a name for himself as a tough player. He moved to England in 1982 and had success with both Widnes and Warrington. During the 1984 season Tamati played on Saturday for the Northcote Tigers in the Auckland Rugby League competition and then flew down to Wellington on Sundays to play for the Randwick Kingfishers. During this season Tamati also represented Auckland. A Wellington representative and New Zealand international, Tamati played 52 times for Wellington and for the Kiwis from 1979 until 1985. He is perhaps best known for his fight with Australian prop Greg Dowling which continued on the sideline after both players had been sent to the sin-bin by French referee Julien Rascagneres. Tamati won caps for New Zealand in 1979 against Great Britain, in 1980 against Australia, and Great Britain, and France, in 1981 against France, while at Widnes in 1982 against Australia, and Papua New Guinea, in 1984 against Great Britain, in 1985 against Australia, in 1985 in the 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup against Australia, in 1985 against Great Britain, and in 1985 in the 1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup against Great Britain. In total Tamati playing in 37 games for the Kiwis, including 29 test matches.
Kevin Tamati played right-, i.e. number 10, in Widnes' 8–12 defeat by Barrow in the 1983Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1983–84 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 1 October 1983, played as an interchange/substitute, i.e. number 15, in Warrington's 8–34 defeat by Wigan in the 1985 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1985–86 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens, on Sunday 13 October 1985, and played left-, i.e.number 8, in the 16–28 defeat by Wigan in the 1987 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1987–88 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Sunday 11 October 1987.
Tamati coached the Salford from 1989 until 1993. Tamati was employed as a rugby league development officer with Warrington Borough Council for nine years from 1989 to 1997 when he left in 1997 to take up a full-time position coaching the Lancashire Lynx. Tamati had previously been coaching Chorley Borough part-time, but the club's rebirth as the Lancashire Lynx prompted him to take up the roll full-time. Tamati was released by Lynx at end of the 1998 season, after failing to agree a new contract. Tamati then began a two-year spell coaching the Whitehaven. In 2006 Tamati was coach of the New Zealand Māori rugby league team.
Later years
Tamati was inducted into the New Zealand Rugby LeagueLegends of League in 1995. He is an Auckland Rugby League Immortal. Tamati is currently chairman and referee coordinator for Rugby League Hawkes Bay. Tamati was named at in the Petone Panthers' Team of the Century in 2012. In 2012 he was named in the Wellington Rugby League's Team of the Century.
