Matai Leuta

Matai Leuta (born July 20, 1990) is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States national rugby sevens team.

Leuta became serious in 2013 about pursuing rugby professionally, and improved his diet and fitness.[1] Before joining the U.S. national team, Leuta was studying at Monterey Peninsula College and playing amateur club rugby. Leuta was discovered in early 2015 at a recruitment camp at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego, California.[2][3] Leuta joined the U.S. national rugby sevens team in 2015.[4]

Leuta scored his first World Series try at the 2015 Japan Sevens against Portugal, when he caught the ball from the U.S. own kickoff and broke through two tacklers to score.[5] Leuta was a member of the U.S. team at the 2015 London Sevens, where the U.S. secured its first ever tournament victory in the World Rugby Sevens Series; Leuta was a starter for the final of that tournament, helping the U.S. defeat Australia 45-22 to win the tournament.

References
  1. "Leuta's OTC Dream Started with Big Changes", Goff Rugby Report, March 4, 2015.
  2. Eagles: Matai Leuta, USA Rugby.
  3. "NSCRO Player, Matai Leuta of Cal State Monterey Bay Recruited to Eagles 7s High Performance Camp", NSCRO, January 19, 2015.
  4. "Mataiyasi Leuta, another player making his debut USA 7s team", Fiji One, March 25, 2015.
  5. "NSCRO Player Matai Leuta of Cal State Monterey Bay Scores for Eagles", NSCRO, April 5, 2015.


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