The Utah Warriors are a professional rugby union team that has been bringing fast-paced and exciting action to the state of Utah since 2010. As part of Major League Rugby, they have established themselves as one of the top teams in North America, competing against some of the best players around. The Warriors offer unique entertainment with their physicality and skill on display every match day, making them an ideal choice for sports fans across all ages.
1. Paul Lasike
BYU Cougars football
Career
- Arizona Cardinals (2015)*
- Chicago Bears (2015–2016)
Paul Lasike is a professional rugby union player who currently plays for Harlequins and Utah Warriors in the English Premiership. He began his career with London Scottish F.C., before moving to Harlequins in 2018.
In total, he has played 26 matches for Harlequins and 25 for London Scottish F.C. Paul was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on June 18th 1990, and started playing rugby at Church College of New Zealand before going on to study at Brigham Young University where he played club football alongside his rugby career.
After graduating from university, Lasike signed with Utah Warriors ahead of their inaugural season in the USA PRO Rugby league competition - having already made one appearance for Harlequins back home in England during the 2017-18 season. Paul Lasike is a fullback who has played for the United States national football team.
He attended Brigham Young University and was undrafted in 2015 but signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent that year. He spent time on the practice squad of the Chicago Bears before being released in 2016.
Lasike then signed with the Seattle Seahawks and spent time on their practice squad before being released at the end of the 2017 season.
In 2018, he re-signed with Seattle and made his NFL debut that year playing 19 games for them, scoring 30 points (including 3 touchdowns).
He was waived by Seattle at the conclusion of 2019 season but later signed back to their practice squad where he remained until he was promoted to their active roster late in the 2020 season
2. Tyler Fisher
Sharks
Tyler Fisher is a 29-year-old rugby union player who currently plays for the Utah Warriors. Tyler started playing rugby at the age of 13, and made his debut for the Sharks in 2009.
In 2014, he joined West Harbour RFC where he played until 2018 when he signed with Utah Warriors. Tyler has represented South Africa at youth level, and is also eligible to play for Samoa due to his father's heritage.
He is known for being an aggressive centre who loves getting on the ball and creating opportunities for his teammates; this season he has scored four tries in eleven appearances so far.
Outside of rugby, Tyler works as a financial advisor specialising in investment planning and estate planning specifically for high net worth individuals - something that has definitely come in handy during his career.
Tyler Fisher is a talented rugby player who has represented both the Sharks XV and Leopards in Super Rugby. He was part of the Cape Town-based side that won the Currie Cup in 2017, making it back to back titles.
Tyler is also a regular for South Africa's Under-20 team, where he has made appearances at both World Cups and Junior World Championships.
He has previously played for various provincial sides including the Pumas and SWD Eagles, amassing over 100 points from his 10 apps during 2018 alone.
With outstanding skills on either wing or fullback, Tyler will be an important part of any successful team he joins next season - watch out.
3. Olive Kilifi
Career
- 2016: Sacramento Express
- 2018–2019: Seattle Seawolves
- 2021: Utah Warriors
Olive Kilifi is a rugby union player who has played for the Sacramento Express in the United States. She was born in Huntington Beach, California, on September 28th, 1986.
Olive started playing rugby at an early age and became a prop specialist later in her career. Olive made her international debut for Kenya in 2012 and went on to play 56 matches for her country over the course of three years before retiring from international duty earlier this year.
Sacramento, California with her husband and two children. Olive Kilifi is a Kenyan runner who has represented her country at the Olympic Games twice, most recently in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 games.
She was born in Eldoret and grew up running on dusty roads near her home. In 2014 she became the first female African-born athlete to win an international marathon title when she won the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:22:57.
At just 26 years old, Olive Kilifi is one of Kenya’s top athletes and will be looking to add to her medal collection at this year's World Championships in Doha, Qatar
4. Niall Saunders
Niall Saunders is a rugby union player who was born in Republic of Ireland and plays for Munster in the Pro14. He has represented his country at under-20, under-21, and senior level.
In 2018 he made his debut for Munster in the PRO14 against Cardiff Blues and scored two tries in their victory.
Niall Saunders has also played for Irish Universities, including playing for UCD during their 2017–18 Celtic League campaign where they reached the semi-final stage before losing to Glasgow Warriors.
At the club level, Niall Saunders has previously been with Bristol Bears (2014), Doncaster Knights (2015) and London Welsh (2016). His position on the pitch is that of scrum half which sees him operate as part of a three-man unit at midfield alongside flyhalf or center respectively.
Niall Saunders is a professional rugby union player who currently plays for Harlequins in the English Premiership.
Niall was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland before moving to England to play professionally. He represented Ireland at the U20 level and helped them win the Junior World Championship in 2016.
In 2017, he joined Tel Aviv Heat of Israel's Premier Division as their first signing from abroad and made an immediate impact, scoring five tries in his debut season.
Niall has been named Player of the Year twice (2018 & 2019) by both the Irish Rugby Union magazine RTE Sport and The Times newspaper, making him one of Ireland's most successful ever players at the international level.
5. Mika Kruse
Career
- 2018–2020: Colorado Raptors
- 2021: LA Giltinis
- 2021: Utah Warriors
- 2018: USA Selects
- 2021: United States
Mika Kruse was born in the United States on June 27, 1998. She first played rugby union at the age of six and quickly became a dominant player. In 2018 she joined Colorado Raptors, where she has been playing ever since.
Mika Kruse is both a center and wing and has scored 40 points in 29 appearances for her club so far this season. Mika Kruse is an incredibly skilled player with great acceleration and agility, making her difficult to defend against.
Mika Kruse was born on 15 May 1996 in Germany. He started playing football when he was five years old and quickly became a standout player for his local club team.
In 2018, Mika Kruse signed with the United States national team and made an immediate impact, scoring two goals in his debut international match against St Kitts and Nevis.
Mika Kruse is currently contracted to German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, where he has been since 2017.
6. Caleb Makene
Caleb Makene is a rugby union player who currently plays for the Hawke's Bay, Utah Warriors in New Zealand. Caleb has represented his country at under-20 and under-23 level before making his full international debut for the All Blacks in 2015.
He started playing rugby as a fullback but moved to wing midway through his high school career, showing great versatility and potential at that position.
After graduating from university with honours, Caleb signed with the Utah Warriors ahead of the 2018 season and has since played an important role in their campaign towards becoming champions.
Caleb Makene is a promising young player with a bright future ahead of him. Caleb has been an integral part of the Tasman side for the past few seasons, and will be hoping to continue his good form in upcoming years.
Caleb is known for his hardworking attitude on and off the field, and he is always looking to improve his game. Caleb enjoys playing attacking rugby, which makes him a valuable asset to any team he joins.
Caleb is currently contracted to Tasman until 2020, so there are plenty of opportunities still available for him in the sport.
7. Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England on 1 August 1992. Joel played rugby union for Newcastle Falcons from 2010 to 2016 and then joined Rotherham Titans in 2018.
He has represented England at U16, U18, U20 and Senior levels and scored a try against Australia during the 2015 World Cup.
Joel is known as an excellent fly-half or scrum-half who can create chances for his teammates with his passing ability and kicking game Joel Hodgson is a rugby union coach and former player who now works as an assistant coach for the Northampton Saints.
He played for both Newcastle Falcons and Glasgow Warriors in his career, before finishing up with Utah Warriors in 2001.
Hodgson was head coach of Australia's national side from 2006 to 2007, leading them to victory at the 2007 Rugby World Cup but resigning after controversial comments about referee Nigel Owens were made public.
He has since worked as an assistant coach with England (under Stuart Lancaster) and Wales (under Rob Howley), before being appointed head coach of Canada on 1 January 2018.
Hodgson is married to Canadian international field hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser and they have two children together - son Jayden (born 2006) and daughter Naya (born 2010).
Joel Hodgson won the prestigious award of BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1998, having earlier picked up several other accolades during his playing days including Players' Player of the Year twice (1995 & 1996).
8. Cliven Loubser
Cliven Loubser is a rugby union player who currently plays for the Namibia national team. He was born in Rehoboth, Namibia and attended Windhoek Gymnasium.
In 2017, he helped his country to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2019 tournament by winning their qualifying campaign. Cliven has been playing at club level since 2016, when he joined RC Toulonnais in France's Top 14 competition as a teenager.
Although primarily a centre or fly-half, Cliven can also play as a full back or on the wing if need be; this versatility makes him an important part of any side he features in.
In 2018/19 season with RC Toulonnais, Loubser made 11 appearances scoring 2 tries including being named French Player of The Season runner up behind Racing 92’s Timoci Nagusa.
On 3 September 2019 it was announced that Cliven had signed for English Premiership side Bristol Bears on a three-year deal from 2020/21 season onwards after impressing during trials with them earlier that month Cliven Loubser is a fly-half who currently plays for UP Tuks.
He made his first-team debut in 2017 and has since gone on to play 15 matches for the Namibian national team, scoring 159 points in the process.
Cliven was born in South Africa but moved to Namibia as a child and started playing rugby there before moving up to the provincial level.
He has represented Eastern Province at youth levels and Sharks U21s during his career thus far, impressing with his accuracy from distance and flair with the ball in hand.
With age on his side, Cliven hopes to represent Namibia at the international level for many years to come and continue developing as one of Africa's most promising talents Rugby Union wise.
Also Played For: namibia rugby
9. Calvin Whiting
Calvin Whiting was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and attended Lone Peak High School. He played rugby union for United Rugby Club before transferring to Brigham Young University where he became a standout player.
Calvin made his professional debut with the Utah Warriors in 2018 and has quickly become one of their key players. Calvin is an excellent center who provides strong defense as well as plenty of attacking opportunities for his team mates.
His hard work on the field has paid off, with Calvin currently having a very successful career in American rugby league football. Calvin Whiting is a American soccer player who currently plays for Utah Warriors in the USL. He was born on July 21st, 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia.
At college level, he played for Wake Forest University where he made 28 appearances and scored 7 goals between 2014-2017.
In December 2017, Calvin signed with United States U19s and has since made 3 appearances and scored 5 goals including one against Mexico U20s which helped America to qualify for the CONCACAF Under 20 Championships later that year as Group winners.
10. Angus MacLellan
Angus MacLellan was born on August 24, 1992 in Traverse City, Michigan. He is a prop for the USA national rugby union team and has played since 2011. Angus MacLellan has represented his country at two Rugby World Cups (2015 and 2019), as well as three Americas Pacific Challenge tournaments (2013, 2017, 2018).
Angus MacLellan graduated from college with a degree in business administration from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts in 2016. Outside of rugby union, Angus MacLellan enjoys spending time with family and friends outdoors fishing or hunting.
Angus MacLellan is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Utah Warriors in the USL.
Born and raised in Southern California, MacLellan played youth soccer with Orange County Blue Star before moving on to play college soccer at Santa Clara University.
After two years at Santa Clara, Angus was drafted by Seattle Sounders FC in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft but never made an appearance for them before being traded to Columbus Crew SC in January of 2018.
During his time with Columbus, Angus made 23 appearances scoring one goal which helped him win MLS Cup 2019 as part of their championship-winning side.
In February 2021, MacLellan moved north to join up with the Utah Warriors where he has started 10 out 11 games so far this season helping them clinch promotion back into the USL Division 1 league.
11. Jurie van Vuuren
Stormers
Jurie van Vuuren is a lock and flanker who has played for the Utah Warriors in the USA Pro Rugby competition. He started playing rugby at Oakdale Agricultural High School, Riversdale in South Africa before moving to play for the Waratahs Academy side in Australia.
Van Vuuren made his Super Rugby debut with the Western Force in 2012 and has since played for Stormers, Cheetahs, Sunwolves and now Utah Warriors.
Jurie van Vuuren was called up to represent South Africa Under-20s at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship where he helped them reach the semi-finals after defeating Scotland 19–13 on aggregate scoreline (the first time an African nation had ever reached that stage of a world championship).
In October 2018 it was announced that van Vuuren would leave Utah Warriors at season’s end to join French Top14 side Tarbes Pyrénées Atlantiques on a two-year contract Jurie van Vuuren made his first-class appearance for Western Province in the 2012 Currie Cup season.
Van Vuuren then joined the Stormers for their 2013 Super Rugby campaign and went on to make eight appearances during that year.
He left Cape Town at the end of that Super Rugby season and moved to Pretoria, where he joined up with Western Province again for 2014's Currie Cup competition.
In 2015, Jurie van Vuuren was included in the Southern Kings squad for their inaugural Pro14 campaign, but only made one appearance before moving back to South Africa with Western Province later that year.
The 2017-2018 season saw Jurie van Vuuren join Eastern Province Elephants after a successful spell with Utah Warriors in America's PRO 14 league circuit which culminated winning PRO 14 Champions 2018 title as well as being crowned Americas' Top Club rugby side by USA Rugby Magazine.
After just 12 appearances over two seasons with Eastern province, Van Vuuren opted not to renew his contract opting instead return home to play provincial rugby once more with Western Province ahead of 2019's Currie Cup Competition.
12. Ratu Veremalua Vugakoto
Ratu Veremalua is a 25-year-old hooker who plays for the Utah Warriors in the Mitre 10 Cup. Ratu was born on December 29th, 1997, in Daviqele, Naukelevu, Kadavu and attended Nelson Boys College.
He made his debut for the Warriores during their 2018 season and has since played 19 games scoring 9 points off the bench. In 2019 he has started all 12 of Utah's matches so far and scored 27 points including 3 tries helping them to second place in their group behind Auckland Blues.
Ratu is currently studying business at Brigham Young University - Idaho where he hopes to one day start his own business empire or work as an ambassador for rugby union in Samoa Ratu Veremalua was born in Fiji on 6th October 1990.
He is a professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Utah Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Ratu Veremalua made his NRL debut for the Warriors against the Penrith Panthers on 1st July 2018 and has since played twelve games, scoring three tries. In September 2019, he signed a new 2-year deal with the club that will keep him at the club until at least 2021.
Ratu Veremalua also represented Fiji at international level from 2010 to 2013 and played six tests, scoring four tries before retiring from international rugby league play in November 2013 due to injury sustained during an Anzac Test match against New Zealand.
13. Josh Whippy
Career
- Brigham Young University (2014)
Josh is a rugby union player who has played for the Utah Warriors since 2018. He first came to prominence as a wing with United Rugby Club, playing in both 2010 and 2017.
Josh studied at Church College of New Zealand before going on to play for Brigham Young University in the USA, where he won a national championship in 2016. In 2018, Josh joined the Utah Warriors and has had an impressive debut season so far - scoring zero points from 0 appearances.
Josh Whippy played running back for BYU Cougars from 2014-2018. He was a two-time All-American and a member of the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship team in 2017. Josh Whippy is currently playing professional football with the United States Selects in the NFL Europe League.
14. Paul Mullen
Career
- 2012–2013: Huddersfield Town
- 2013–2014: Huddersfield Town
- 2014: Vauxhall Motors (loan)
- 2014–2017: Morecambe
- 2017–2018: Swindon Town
- 2018–2020: Tranmere Rovers
- 2020: Cambridge United (loan)
- 2020–2021: Cambridge United
- 2021: Wrexham
Paul Mullen is from Ireland and played rugby union for Munster U18, U19, and U20s before joining the Utah Warriors in America.
He has had an impressive amateur career, playing for Terenure College RFC and Irish side Connacht Rugby Club before making his international debut for Ireland against Wales in 2016.
In 2017 he was drafted by the Utah Warriors of the PRO14 league, appearing regularly as a prop over the next two seasons.
At 31 years old Paul Mullen still has plenty to offer at the club level but will be looking to make his mark on the international stage during 2019/2020 with Ireland's tour of South Africa currently scheduled.
Paul Mullen is a rugby player who has played for Houston Athletic RC and Galveston RFC. He has represented Ireland at the U-20 level and was part of the side that won the Junior World Cup in 2013.
Mullen made his senior debut for Houston SaberCats in 2018, before joining Newcastle Falcons on loan later that year. After spending two seasons with Newcastle, he moved to Doncaster Knights in 2020 where he continued playing until the 2021–22 season when he signed for the newly formed Houston SaberCats team.
Paul Mullen is currently contracted to play with the SaberCats through the 2022 season having scored three tries during this time period so far.
15. Mike Te'o
Career
- 2016: San Diego Breakers
- 2018–2020: San Diego Legion
- 2020: London Scottish
- 2021–: Utah Warriors
- 2012–2013: United States U20
- 2016: United States
- 2016: USA Selects
- 2012–2017: United States
Mike Te'o was born in Long Beach, California on July 23rd 1993. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and played rugby union for the school's team.
Te'o started his professional career with the San Diego Breakers in 2016 before joining the London Scottish for the 2020 season. In total, Te'o has made 40 appearances for San Diego Legion and London Scottish since starting his senior career in 2020.
Mike Te'o is a rugby player who has played for the United States national team. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, but he never played for them because of injury.
In 2016, after three years with the 49ers' reserve squad, he signed with USA Selects and made his international debut that year against Uruguay.
Te'o also played for Ireland from under-16 to under-19 level before switching allegiance to America in 2011 while still at school in California. He retired from professional rugby following a 31–28 victory over Canada on May 5th, 2021, having won 104 caps and scored 19 tries during his career.
16. Michael Baska
Career
- 2018–2019: New Orleans Gold
- 2020: Utah Warriors
- 2021: United States
Michael Baska is a rugby union player who has represented the United States internationally. He first played for the University of Florida in 2013, making 11 appearances and scoring one try.
In 2016, he joined Racing 92 in France and made his debut for their senior side that year against English club Bath Rugby.
The following season he was named captain of Racing 92 and led them to their first European title since 2009 as well as Runner-up honors in the Top 14 Championship.
He continued to be a key figure for Racing 92 over the next two seasons, helping them win back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 before signing with Japanese side Ricoh Black Rams at the end of 2019 season Michael Baska is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Warriors.
He has played professionally since 2016 and has seen success with the team, averaging 20 points per game over the past two seasons. Michael was born in Hungary but moved to the United States when he was young, settling in Utah where he began playing basketball at a youth level.
His international experience includes appearances with both the Hungarian national team and U21 squads, making him one of only a few Americans to play internationally at such an early stage of his career.
Michael is hopeful that this experience will help him develop as a player and take his game to new heights moving forward – something which he believes can be achieved with hard work and dedication.
17. Matt Jensen
Matt Jensen is a rugby union player who has represented Brigham Young University. Matt Jensen was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on April 21st 1992. At 6ft 8in and 249lb, Matt Jensen is an imposing figure on the field of play.
Matt started playing rugby at Pocono Mountain East High School before transferring to Brigham Young University in Utah later in his high school career.
In three seasons with BYU, Matt racked up over 50 apps and scored over 100 points for the team - including a hat-trick against Navy during his final year at BYU.
After graduating from college in 2016, it appeared that Matt's rugby career may have come to an end; however he has now signed for Premiership side Saracens FRC (formerly London Irish) where he will be looking to make some waves this season.
Matt Jensen is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Utah Warriors in the USA Rugby League.
Jensen has represented both the United States and America Selects at international level, playing eight games for the former and seven for the latter. A strong runner with good defensive skills, Matt Jensen is likely to add some power to Utah's backline in 2019 season.
The 25-year-old was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah before moving to Australia where he played junior football with Western Sydney Wanderers FC before returning stateside in 2016 to pursue his rugby career full time.
In 2018, Matt Jensen made an instant impact on Utah's senior side by scoring ten tries during their Championship campaign - earning him selection onto.
Team USA for the 2017 World Cup qualifiers against Canada and Mexico later that year as well as starting all three of their matches at this event.
Which included a man-of-the-match performance against Uruguay (54m run from the dummy half). With aspirations of representing his country at Super Rugby level one day, it will be interesting to see how Matt Jensen develops over the next few seasons with Utah Warriors.
Especially given their tough pool including reigning champions Brisbane Broncos (2018), Auckland Nines winners Los Angeles Rams (2018) & Toronto Wolfpack (2018).
18. Chad Gough
Chad Gough is a 31-year old American rugby union player who has played for both the United States and Canada. He started playing rugby at an early age, and quickly became one of the top players in his region.
In 2012, he was called up to play for the USA national team, but didn't make any appearances due to injury. The following year, he made his debut for Canada against Uruguay, and has since gone on to represent them at various international tournaments.
Chad is currently contracted to Racing 92 until 2020, where he plays as a hooker. He is known for his hard work off the pitch as well as on it – often putting in long hours during training sessions in order to improve himself further as a player Chad Gough is a 20 year old American soccer player who currently plays for the Colorado Raptors.
Born and raised in Englewood, Colorado, Chad started playing organized soccer when he was five years old. After spending three years at Centennial High School, Chad enrolled at University of Denver where he played for the Pioneers from 2015 to 2018.
In his final season with DU, Chad was named First Team All-Mountain West Conference and helped lead the team to their first ever conference championship appearance.
In January 2019, Chad joined the Colorado Raptors as they began play in Major League Soccer (MLS). As one of only 21 players on the Rapids roster heading into MLS Season 2020, expectations are high for Gough as he looks to help guide Edmonton back to MLS Cup contention this season.
19. Hagen Schulte
Hagen is a fly-half and full back for the Utah Warriors in the USA's PRO Rugby league. Hagen played his school rugby at St Bede's College, Christchurch before studying at Lincoln University where he became a member of their first XV side in 2012.
In September 2016, Schulte made his debut for Utah against Seattle Saracens RFC and has since scored 10 tries from 33 appearances, including 2 conversions and 7 penalty goals.
In May 2017, it was announced that Schulte would join England’s RFU Championship side Harlequins on loan until December 2018 as they look to rebuild following relegation from the Premiership last season.
With Harlequins having won promotion back to Premiership rugby this season under new head coach Rob Baxter, Schulte has made 3 appearances off the bench so far this campaign scoring 1 try against Bristol Bears whilst being named man of the match once more against Leicester Tigers in early October.
Hagen Schulte is a German-born rugby player who has been playing for Glasgow Hawks since 2016.
Schulte made his debut for the Germany national team in 2017, and has gone on to play eight matches for them thus far. Outside of rugby, Schulte is studying law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
He was also named as one of the Scottish Daily Mail’s “ rising stars” in 2018 . In 2019 , he joined Romanian side CSM București on a two-year contract.
20. Huluholo Moungaloa
Huluholo Moungaloa is a prop for the Utah Warriors in rugby union. He was born on December 13, 1989, and weighs 260 pounds. In 2015-2019 he played with Life West club in the USA Rugby Premiership Division One League, scoring () points during that time period.
Huluholo Moungaloa has represented Tonga at international level, playing six times and scoring three tries between 2014 and 2019.
He is currently contracted to play for Utah Warriors in the United States PRO Rugby Championship next season Huluholo Moungaloa was born in Tonga on October 3, 1998.
He is a midfielder and has represented the Tongan national team at youth level. Huluholo Moungaloa joined the Utah Warriors ahead of their inaugural season in 2019 and made an immediate impact, scoring two goals from midfield in his first three games for the club.
The 21-year-old is looking to make an impression with USA Islanders, who he will join midway through 2020 following his participation at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year.
21. John Cullen
John Cullen is a rugby union player who has represented the United States at international level. He made his debut for the national team in 2010 and has since played 47 matches, scoring 10 tries.
John Cullen was born in La Mirada, California and started playing rugby while attending high school there. After graduating from college, he joined London Welsh RFC where he spent two seasons before joining Racing 92 in France's Top 14 competition in 2012.
He quickly established himself as a key member of their side and helped them to win the 2013-14 French championship title and make it to the 2014 European Rugby Champions Cup Final where they lost to Clermont Auvergne 35-16 on aggregate).
In 2015 John moved back to England, this time signing for Harlequins RFC where he continues to play today John Cullen was born and raised in Seattle, Washington.
He attended the University of Utah where he played for the Seattle Saracens Des Moines Rugby Club (SSDC) from 2011 to 2013. He made his debut for the United States national rugby union team in 2013 against Canada, playing 3 matches and scoring 0 points.
In 2018, John joined the Utah Warriors as their new captain and helped them make it to playoffs in both seasons they've been a part of Division 1 competition.
22. Sama Malolo
Malolo has represented Australia at Under-20 and Under-23 level before making his senior debut in the 2017 season. Malolo played for Sydney clubs Randwick and Eastern Suburbs, helping Randwick to the Premiership title in 2016.
In May 2018, it was announced that Sama had signed with English side Bath Rugby for the 2018–19 season. Malolo made his debut for Bath on 10 September 2018 against Bristol Rugby, starting in the front row alongside captain Ross Moriarty and Jack Robertshaw.
Samantha Malolo starts as Bath take on Bristol On 21 January 2019, he scored a try in a 41–14 win over Worcester Warriors to help end their run of 14 successive defeats Sama Malolo is a Tongan international rugby player who plays for the Perth Spirit in Super Rugby.
Sama played club rugby with Easts Tigers in Sydney before moving to England and joining Harlequins in 2016.
He made his debut for Tonga against Canada at the 2017 World Cup, going on to make four appearances during the tournament including their victory over France in the quarter-finals.
In 2018 he moved back to Australia and joined Perth Spirit ahead of their inaugural season in Super Rugby competition, scoring seven tries from 20 appearances so far this year including two doubles against South African side The Southern Kings earlier this month (14/6 & 50/17).
Sama has also represented Samoa at various age group levels, playing for them at U19 level during the IRB Junior World Championship where they reached the semi-final stage before losing out to New Zealand 15-7; and at U21 level where they finished fourth following a loss to Wales 26-24 and victories over Italy 36-10 & Spain 46–0.
Outside of rugby he enjoys spending time with his family, doing spearfishing trips as well as travelling around Europe – something that he looks forward to doing more of once his contract with Perth Spirit expires after 2020 season end.
Also Played For: major league rugby
23. Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane was born in New Zealand on 20 November 1995. He started his rugby union career with the Wellington Rugby Union at the age of 16 and has gone on to play for a number of top-level teams both in New Zealand and overseas.
In 2017, he made his international debut for the All Blacks and has since played five tests, scoring one try. Outside of rugby, Jamie is known for winning The Amazing Race NZ in 2016 as well as competing on Dancing With The Stars NZ this year where he finished 4th overall out of 11 contestants.
Jamie Lane is a lock for the Utah Warriors in the upcoming season. Jamie Lane has played 18 games for Auckland so far this year and has averaged 4 points per game.
Jamie Lane was born in New Zealand but moved to Utah at a young age, where he began playing rugby league professionally.
Jamie lane's versatility as both a forward and back makes him an important part of any team lineup, and his experience will be invaluable on the Warriors' Super League squad next season.
Jamie lane is also an accomplished cricketer – having played cricket for New Zealand at international level – making him well-rounded both on and off the field of play.
24. Vatemo Ravouvou
Career
- 2016 2019: Rams Utah Warriors
Ravouvou started playing rugby union at Ratu Navula College in 2009. Ravouvou made his senior debut for the Rams in 2016 and has since featured in a number of competitions, including the Mitre 10 Cup and Super Rugby.
Ravouvou is an aggressive flanker who excels at breaking through defences with speed and power.
Ravouvou is currently contracted to the RAMS until 2021, making him one of the longest-serving players on their roster Vatemo Ravouvou is a Fiji sevens player who competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Vatemo Ravouvou was born in 1990, and started playing rugby when he was just six years old. He has played for various clubs in his home country of Fiji, but made his international debut for Fiji at the age of 18 during the 2011 World Rugby Sevens Series season.
In 2016, he helped Fiji to their first ever Olympic medal – a bronze medal in the team competition – at Rio de Janeiro.
After Rio, Ravouvou announced that he would be retiring from professional rugby after 12 years with several club sides around the world including London Irish and Sale Sharks in England and Toulon in France among others.
25. Kalolo Tuiloma
Career
- 2016–2018, 2021: Counties Manukau
- 2018: Highlanders
- 2020: Utah Warriors
- 2020: Northland
- 2022: Rugby New York
- 2022: North Harbour
- 2021: Samoa
Kalolo Tuiloma is a 31-year-old tighthead prop who has played for North Harbour in the Mitre 10 Cup and Rugby United New York in the USA Pro League. Kalolo started playing rugby at Aorere College, before moving on to Timaru Boys' High School and then Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
He made his provincial debut for Wellington in 2011, but it was with North Harbour that he really shone; after being named Player of the Year in both 2016 and 2017, Kalolo signed a three-year deal with North Harbour ahead of the 2018 season.
In Super Rugby, Kalolo has appeared for both Wellington Hurricanes (2013–15) and Western Force (2015).
His international career began when he was called up to represent New Zealand Under 20s during their victorious tour of Europe in 2010, before making his full senior debut against France later that year.
He has since gone on to make 16 appearances for the All Blacks between 2015 and 2019, including eight tests during World Cup 2019 – which saw him win the Man Of The Match award against South Africa – as well as tours of Australia (2017), Argentina (2018) and Japan (2019).
Kalolo Tuiloma is a prop for the Counties Manukau rugby team. He has played in 10 matches for the Highlanders this season and scored 5 points. Kalolo also represented Samoa at the international level, playing 4 games and scoring 10 points.
It is hoped that Kalolo can continue to improve his skills and help lead Counties Manukau to future success.
26. Dwayne Polataivao
Dwayne Polataivao is a scrum-half who has been playing in the professional rugby union league for two seasons now for Doncaster Knights. Dwayne Polataivao was born on 30 July 1990 in Samoa and he attended De La Salle College where he played rugby union.
Dwayne Polataivao made his debut for Utah Warriors during the 2019 season, and has since then gone on to make five appearances for them with zero points scored.
Since joining Doncaster Knights at the start of 2020, Polataivo has started all their matches so far this season and contributed 10 points from 5 tries along the way.
Dwayne Polataivao is a talented rugby player who has represented Samoa on numerous occasions. He was part of the Samoan team that won the 2016 World Cup Qualifier and he has since been named in their squad for this year's tournament.
Dwayne Polataivo also played for Auckland in Super Rugby but left the club at the end of last season to focus on his international career full-time.
Dwayne Polataivo is an explosive winger with excellent speed and agility, which makes him difficult to defend against. He is known for his hard work off the pitch as well – spending hours training every day to improve his skills as a footballer first before turning to rugby.
The 24-year-old will be crucial if Samoa are hoping to win their fourth consecutive World Cup title this year.
27. Gannon Moore
Gannon Moore is a 32-year old rugby union player who currently plays for the Utah Warriors. Gannon Moore played his first game of rugby at the age of six and has been playing ever since.
In high school, Gannon Moore was captain of Lincoln High School's Rugby team and helped them win two state championships.
After graduating from high school, Gannon Moore attended Southwest Minnesota State University where he played for their varsity rugby team as both a Centre and Wing.
In 2015, Gannon Moore signed with the Utah Warriros after impressing coach Rob Hoegg during a tryout process that involved over 50 players.
As one of the top centre/wings in North America, GANNON MOORE is well on his way to cementing himself as one of sport’s most promising stars. Gannon Moore is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the Denver Stampede of the ECHL.
Moore has played for the United States men's national ice hockey team on multiple occasions, most recently in 2018 where he scored five goals during four games at the World Championships.
Moore was born and raised in Utah and attended Brigham Young University (BYU). After playing two seasons with BYU, Moore was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Following his draft season, Moore signed an entry level contract with Colorado and made his AHL debut with their affiliate Hershey Bears later that year.
In 2013–14, Moore had loan spells with both Manchester Monarchs of the AHL as well as HC Davos of Switzerland's National League A before returning to Manchester for another full season in 2014-15; however.
Injury prematurely ended his 2015-16 campaign just shy of halfway through due to surgery on a torn ACL suffered while playing against Providence Bruins late into January 2016.
Moore returned from injury midway through 2016-17 season to lead all defensemen statistically whilst helping guide Colorado onto their first-ever playoff appearance since 2007 making him one if its biggest success stories post trade deadline rebuild.
After leading Avalanche players vote for captaincy , becoming only second player behind Nathan MacKinnon to serve consecutive terms as alternate captain throughout the off-season.
28. Fetu'u Vainikolo
Career
- 2013-15: Exeter Chiefs
- 2015-: Oyonnax
- 2018-: Utah Warriors
- 2007–2008: Northland
- 2009–2010: Otago
- 2011–2013: Connacht
- 2008–2010: Highlanders
- 2011: Tonga
Fetu’u Vainikolo is a wing and current Utah Warriors player. He was born in Tonga, but grew up in Exeter, England before moving to France to play rugby union.
Fetu’u Vainikolo has played for the Oyonnax club since 2018, having started his senior career with the Exeter Chiefs back in 2013. His 50 appearances for the Utah Warriors so far have yielded 50 points - not too shabby.
Fetu'u Vainikolo is a powerful and fast running back who has been playing in the Super Rugby competition for Northland since 2007. He was part of the Otago team that made it to the semi-final stage in 2011, but they were unable to win against eventual champions New Zealand.
In 2013 he joined Connacht where he played until 2015 when he signed with Saracens RFC in England's Premiership rugby league competition.
Fetu'u Vainikolo is now considered one of the best backs in Europe and his performances have caught the attention of several teams across world rugby including Japan and South Africa who are both reportedly interested in signing him soon.
29. Mack Mason
Career
- 2016-2018: Eastern Suburbs
- 2015–2016: Queensland Country
- 2017: Greater Sydney Rams
- 2018–2019: NSW Country Eagles
- 2021–2022: Austin Gilgronis
- 2017-2019: Waratahs
Mack Mason was born in Cairns, Queensland on 19 January 1996. Mack played rugby union for Anglican Church Grammar School before being signed by Eastern Suburbs in 2015.
In 2017 Mack made 37 appearances for Eastern Suburbs and scored 280 points including a try against the Melbourne Rebels in the final game of the season which gave them their third premiership title since 2007.
On 15 November 2018 Mack transferred to Austin Gilgronis and will play fly-half for them during their inaugural season in the National Rugby Championship competition next year Mack Mason is a tough and powerful forward who is looking to make an impact in the Queensland Country side this season.
The 24-year-old has played for both NSW Country Eagles and the Waratahs over the past two seasons, impressing with his hard running and physicality on the attack.
With Mack in the lineup, Queensland Country are expected to be one of the strongest teams in Australia this year, particularly given their strong set-piece play.
Look for Mason to continue playing at a high level throughout 2019 and 2020, with a potential Super Rugby future likely if he continues developing as planned.
30. Dan Hollinshead
Career
- 2014–2020: Bay of Plenty
- 2017: Agen
- 2018: Coca-Cola Red Sparks
- 2019: Highlanders
- 2021: Rugby United New York
Dan Hollinshead is a first five-eighth who has played for Tauranga Boys' College and Auckland Blues in New Zealand's National Rugby Championship. In October 2015, he was named in the All Blacks squad for their test match against Australia but did not play due to injury.
He made his debut for Auckland Blues in 2016 and has since also played for the Crusaders and Highlanders in Super Rugby. He signed with French side Racing 92 on a two-year contract starting from 2019, becoming the highest paid player at the club.
Dan Hollinshead is married to Abbey Clancy and they have one child together, son George Arthur Hollinshead born on 3 January 2020 Dan Hollinshead is a New Zealand international rugby player who has represented the Bay of Plenty in both domestic and international fixtures.
He made his debut for the Highlanders in 2019, playing against Queensland Reds in Brisbane. Dan has also played for Agen and Coca-Cola Red Sparks during his senior career, amassing over 60 appearances between them.
With 89 points accumulated throughout his career, Dan is currently ranked fifth all-time in franchise history scoring wise. In 2021, he signed with Rugby United New York (RUNA) on a one-season contract before returning to the Bay of Plenty side for their upcoming campaign.
31. Beaudein Waaka
Career
- 2012: Poverty Bay
- 2013–2018: Taranaki
- 2019–2020: Manly
- 2020–2022: New England Free Jacks
- 2015–2017: New Zealand
Beaudein is a fullback and first five-eighth for Manly. He was born in Whakatāne, New Zealand and attended Gisborne Boys' High School. Beaudein played rugby union for the Auckland Blues U20s before joining Manly as an injury replacement in 2017.
In 2018 he was named at Centre on the bench for the Kiwis' test against England and started their match against Wales later that year.
Beaudein has also represented New Zealand at under 20 level, playing three tests in 2018 including one win over Scotland which secured qualification for the 2019 World Cup tournament in Japan .
Outside of rugby, Beaudein is a fitness enthusiast who enjoys SUP boarding, running and weightlifting Beaudein Waaka is a New Zealand sevens player who competed in the 2015–2017 World Series.
She played for Poverty Bay in the 2012-2018 season and Taranaki from 2019 to 2020. Beaudein Waaka was part of the Manly side that reached the National Women's Sevens Championships final in 2020, but they were unable to win against Wellington.
Beaudein has also represented her country at U20 level and helped them reach fourth place at the 2016 Junior Women's World Cup tournament held in Spain.
The 24 year old forward is currently studying law at Massey University and hopes to play rugby full time once she finishes her degree later this year.
32. Tayler Adams
Tayler Adams is a 29-year-old New Zealand Scrum Half who currently plays for the Toronto Arrows in the Canadian Rugby Union (CRC). Tayler played his first senior rugby union match for the NSW Country Eagles in 2016 and has since then been an integral part of their squad.
In addition to playing at the representative level, Tayler also competes regularly with Toronto Arrows in both domestic and international tournaments.
Born in Auckland, NZ, Tayler began playing rugby union as a youngster before moving to Sydney to attend Kelston Boys' High School where he joined Southern Institute of Technology's rugby club.
After graduating from college, Tayler returned to play provincial football for The North Harbour Rays before making his debut for the NSW Country Eagles during their 2017 season campaign.
Tayler Adams is a professional rugby player who played for the Southland Stags in Super Rugby. Adams made her debut for the Stags in March 2018 and has since appeared in two matches.
Prior to playing rugby, Adams played basketball at university and represented New Zealand at the under-16 level before switching to rugby full-time after graduating from college.
In 2019, she was named in the New Zealand Women's Sevens team that competed at the World Cup in France as well as making her test debut against Italy later that year.
Outside of rugby, Adams works as a personal trainer and also provides commentary for Southland provincial matches on television station Southern Cross Ten Network.
33. Shawn Pittman
Career
- 2010–2013: London Welsh
- 2007: United States U19
- 2008: United States U20
- 2008–2013: United States
- 2021: United States (asst),Utah Warriors
Shawn Pittman is a 34-year-old prop who has played for London Welsh in the RFU Championship. He was born in Bellingham, Washington and started playing rugby at Chuckanut Bay RFC when he was just six years old.
Pittman made his senior debut for London Welsh in 2010 and since then has scored 46 points from 46 appearances.
He announced his retirement from professional rugby earlier this year after sustaining an injury during the 2013–14 season.
Shawn Pittman now works as a personal trainer and lives with his wife and two young daughters near Newport, Wales where he continues to play club rugby for Bayside Sharks Pittman is a former American international goalkeeper who played for the United States U-19 and U-20 teams.
He began his coaching career with the Utah Warriors in 2021, helping them reach the USL Cup playoffs that same year.
Pittman later became an assistant coach with United States national team, before resigning from his role in July of 2019 after allegations of domestic violence surfaced against him.
The 39-year old was recently charged with one count of felony kidnapping and two counts of misdemeanor assault by police after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend on January 10th, 2020.
Pittman has since been released from custody following posting bail and will return to court on February 6th 2020 Following this latest incident, it remains to be seen if or when Pittman will resume coaching duties.
34. Shaun Davies
Shaun Davies is a scrum-half who has played for Ohio Aviators in the USA Pro Rugby League. Shaun Davies was born on 21 June 1989 in Durban, South Africa and raised in Westville Boys High School.
After graduating from high school, Davies studied at Brigham Young University where he played rugby union for the Cougars team. Shaun Davies made his professional debut with Ohio Aviators during the 2016 season and has since been a regular member of their squad.
Shaun Davies is now playing for Colorado Raptors in the PRO Rugby league competition as he nears the end of his senior career.
Davies has represented both South Africa and Zimbabwe at international level, having scored 80 points through 11 appearances between 2016-2018 seasons respectively Shaun Davies is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Warriors in the NBA.
He was born on November 3, 1990, in Queens, New York and raised in nearby Westbury. After playing college ball at Virginia Commonwealth University, Shaun was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 27th pick of the 2012 NBA draft.
His rookie season saw him play 37 games and average 5 points per game off the bench for Milwaukee before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers along with Luc Mbah a Moute for Jerryd Bayless and Thaddeus Young midway through 2013–14 campaign.
Injury-plagued his next two seasons as he averaged just 12 minutes per game across 36 appearances with Philadelphia before being waived by Chicago Bulls during 2015 offseason.
He then spent most of that year out overseas playing in Spain's Liga ACB league with Valencia BC where he helped them win their first ever championship title (defeating Barcelona 63-59 in final).
Upon returning to America after his stint abroad, Shaun signed a 2-year contract extension with Memphis Grizzlies but struggled to make an impact averaging only 9 minutes per game over 28 appearances due to multiple niggling injuries between 2016–17 & 2017–18 campaigns.
However, following trade deadline deal that sent Marc Gasol from Memphis to Toronto Raptors – Shaun received more consistent playing time averaging 20+ minutes off court each night helping.
Toronto clinch the Atlantic Division title en route to reaching Eastern Conference semi-finals against Cleveland Cavaliers where they eventually lost 4-1 despite leading series 3-1 at one stage.
Shaun Davies is heading into his 6th year within NBA organization having played for Milwaukee Bucks (2012), Philadelphia 76ers (2013), Chicago Bulls (2015), Memphis Grizzlies(2016) & Toronto Raptors(2018).
Although able -mainly due to injury woes-, Davies has managed tot score over 1000 career points during various stages of his career mainly coming off bench role or sporadic starting nods while appearing mostly in Americas' East Coast Basketball Association Europe leagues such as Liga ACB Spanish League Valencia BC among others.
35. Les Soloai
Career
- 2012: Featherstone Rovers
- 2014: Tweed Heads Seagulls
- 2013: United States
- 2018–20: Utah Warriors
- 2020: Seattle Seawolves
Les Soloai is a New Zealand prop who has played for the Melbourne Storm and the Newcastle Knights in Australia. He was also named in the NZ squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup but did not play in any of their matches.
In February 2017, he signed with Tweed Heads Seagulls on a 2-year deal. Les Soloai primarily plays as a front rower but can also fill in at lock or second row.
He is known for his powerful running game and aggressive defense which has led to him being described as one of NRL's most promising young props.
Les Soloai completed his tertiary education through online study while playing rugby league full time, an accomplishment that has impressed many observers within rugby league circles Les Soloai is a rugby union player who has represented the United States national team.
He first gained prominence as a member of the Featherstone Rovers side that won the 2012 Championship. In 2014, he moved to Tweed Heads Seagulls where he continued to play until 2018 when he joined Utah Warriors in America's Premier Rugby League (APRL).
es Soloai primarily plays as a fullback or full-back and his main strength lies in his speed and agility which allows him to cover large distances quickly on the pitch.
At the international level, Les Soloai has played six times for the United States and has scored one try during his time with them, making him an important part of their squad.
36. Mike Palefau
Career
- 2011: Utah Warriors
- 2012: OPSB
- 2006–2007: RC Narbonne
- 2007–2008: Petrarca
- 2018: Seattle Seawolves
- 2018: Utah Warriors
- 2005–2008: United States
- 2005–2014: United States
Palefau is a rugby union player who has spent his entire career with Utah Warriors. Palefau was born in Kahuku, Hawaii and played football as well before turning to rugby when he attended Brigham Young University.
He has represented the United States at international level on several occasions and won two silver medals at the World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments - in 2013 and 2017.
Palefau announced his retirement from professional rugby after the 2018 season, having made over 350 appearances for Utah Warriors Palefau is a rugby sevens player for RC Narbonne.
He has played for the United States national team and represented them at several tournaments, including the Olympics.
Palefau was born in Seattle, Washington in 1992 His parents are both from Samoa and he grew up playing American football as well as rugby union before switching to rugby sevens when he moved to France to play college rugby.
After spending two seasons with Narbonne's second team, Palefau made his debut for the first XV during the 2014-15 season and has since gone on to make over 60 appearances for the side.
In May 2018, it was announced that Palefau had been called up by USA Rugby to represent them at the IRB World Cup in Japan later that year.
He made his global debut during Group A of pool C against Fiji on 16 June 2018 scoring one try which helped set up a 24-21 victory over their Pacific rivals.
However, despite advancing through their group unbeaten (albeit losing 44-19 against New Zealand), USA were eliminated from competition.
After being beaten 33-18 by Scotland in their semi final match on 3 July 2018 ensuring they finished 4th overall behind Australia, New Zealand and South Africa respectively.
Palafau continued playing club rugby throughout Europe until returning home once again this October where he signed with the newly formed PRO Dax Club.
37. Aston Fortuin
Career
- 2012 Border Bulldogs
- 2013–2017: Blue Bulls
- 2016–2017 :UP Tuks
- 2016–2019: Blue Bulls XV
- 2017: Blue Bulls
- 2019–2020: Southern Kings
- 2020–2021: Sharks (Currie Cup)
- 2021: Utah Warriors
- 2014: South Africa Schools
Aston Fortuin is a lock for the Utah Warriors in the American National Rugby League. He previously played for the Blue Bulls in South Africa and was part of their 2017 Super Rugby championship-winning side.
Aston was born on 16 April 1996 in Cape Town, South Africa and attended school at Southdowns College before studying at University of Pretoria where he played rugby union.
In 2012, Aston joined Border Bulldogs as a junior player and made his first team debut later that year against Boland Cavaliers in the Currie Cup Premier Division tournament.
The following season (2013), he continued to play regularly for Border Bulldogs, including helping them reach the semi-finals of the 2013 Vodacom Cup competition before eventually losing to eventual champions.
Western Province Eagles 31–13 on aggregate after playing both legs away from home – something which would be remembered by many when border won their first ever cup title just two years later.
In August 2014 it was announced that Fortuin had signed a three-year contract with English club Saracens ahead of their inaugural 2014/15 European Rugby Champions Cup campaign.
However, due to visa issues he failed to make an appearance for Saracens until December 2015 during their pool stage victory over Racing 92 despite being named man-of-the match against Zebre earlier that month. Returning home once again.
Aston started all four matches during Border's 2016 Vodacom Cup run which ended with them reaching finals day only to lose 24–21 against Free State Cheetahs after extra time – this also marked his 100th career match.
After another season captaining Border into yet another provincial final (this time losing 28–24 against Easterns) Fortuin decided it was time to move onto bigger things and transferred northwards to join up.
With Utah Warriors ahead of their inaugural 2018 NRL season - making him one of few players from outside Australia or New Zealand competing domestically across multiple codes simultaneously.
Aston Fortuin was born on 4 April 1992 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Aston has played for the Blue Bulls and Southern Kings in both Super Rugby and Currie Cup rugby competition.
In 2016, he represented his country at the under-20 World Championships where they reached the semi-finals before losing to England.
He made his debut for the Springboks against Wales on 8 June 2017 and has since gone on to make five appearances for them including a start against Ireland in November 2018 Aston is contracted with Sharks until 2021.
38. Robbie Abel
Western Force
Robbie Abel is a hooker who has played for the Waratahs and Auckland over the course of his senior rugby career. Robbie Abel represented Australia at Under-20 level and made his debut for Northland in 2013.
In 2014, Robbie Abel joined Perth Spirit where he enjoyed moderate success before departing at the end of that season.
Robbie Abel was born in Orange, Australia on 4 July 1989 and attended St Edmund’s College in Sydney before beginning his professional rugby career with Brumbies Runners in 2007.
He remained there until 2010 when he moved to Northland B’s, playing 17 matches during two seasons combined with them both winning New Zealand domestic cup competitions during this time too.
In 2013, after impressing for Australian Schoolboys sides including captaining NSW U18s to victory against Queensland Academy Schools en route to their 2009 National Title triumph (a side which also featured future Wallabies halfback Will Genia).
Robbie transferred northwards to join newly formed Super Rugby club Northland ahead of their inaugural season; making 9 appearances off the bench over 3 years.
While notching 5 points himself as they narrowly avoided relegation each year despite poor attendance figures averaging around just 830 people per game throughout all three campaigns (the average Super Rugby attendance being ~13000).
After spending one final campaign with Perth Spirit prior to leaving Western Australia at the conclusion of 2015 AFL pre-season training camps.
Having originally been signed by Fremantle Football Club following an impressive performance from a junior representative team matches against West Coast Eagles whilst still representing NSW Metro.
It would be fair say that overall Robbie’s rugby union journey has generally followed a downward trajectory culminating with him now plying his trade back home Down Under once again with the struggling.
Auckland Blues outfit having only made 1 appearance so far this year coming off the bench against Melbourne Rebels although rumours persist linking him elsewhere should things not improve soon enough up in ‘The Bluff’.
Robbie Abel is a rugby union player who currently plays for the Waratahs in Super Rugby.
Abel made his senior debut with Australia 'A' Schools in 2007 and has since gone on to play for Māori All Blacks and the Force, appearing in 36 games between them.
He started playing rugby league at an early age but switched to rugby union when he was 13 years old, developing into one of the best full-backs in Australia.
In 2018, Robbie won a silver medal with Māori All Blacks at the Commonwealth Games before joining up with Waratahs later that year.
The 24-year-old is contracted to stay with Waratahs until 2021 and has expressed his desire to win another title with them during that time period; claiming they are "the team everyone wants to beat".
A hard runner who consistently puts pressure on opposition defences, Robbie is known as much for his attacking skills offload as he is defensively; making him an invaluable asset both offensively and defensively for any side he plays for.
Final Words
. . The Utah Warriors are a professional rugby union team that has been bringing fast-paced and exciting play to the sport for over two decades. With some of the best players in the world currently on their roster, it is no surprise that they have continued to be one of the most successful teams in America.
From wingers like George Bridge and Solomoni Kepu to stand-out forwards such as Ruan Pienaar and Jono Gibbes, there is no doubt that this team boasts some of the greatest talent in all of rugby. Whether they’re playing at home or abroad, fans can always expect a thrilling match when watching these warriors take on their opponents.
