Ropati is a member of a famous rugby league family and he had three older brothers who played internationally for the New Zealand Kiwis (Joe, Tea and Iva).
Ropati was then one of a group of Auckland players (including future All Black Kees Meeuws) who transferred south to join Otago and the Highlanders for 1997.
The move was a fruitful one as Ropati became a fixture in both sides for the next 5 seasons, winning the NPC again with Otago in 1998 in a year in which he scored 12 tries from 13 matches.
Eligible to play for Samoa, he was included in their squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and made his debut on 1 November in a 60–10 defeat to South Africa.
This looked to be his sole international appearance until he was a surprise inclusion in the Samoan squad selected to play New Zealand in New Plymouth on 3 September 2008, almost 5 years after his debut.