Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Gordon hooker Mahe Vailanu will follow Head Coach Darren Coleman from Sydney to the LA Giltinis. The 23-year-old was recently awarded the prestigious Ken Catchpole Medal as the Shute Shield’s Player of the Year following the club’s victorious 2020 season.
Vailanu was born and raised in Tonga but has found success in Australia since arriving as a teenager. He was part of the Melbourne Rebels academy program and represented the Australian Barbarians opposite the Australia u20 side in 2016.
In 2018 Vailanu won two Super Rugby caps for the Rebels, playing as a replacement against the Waratahs and Sharks. He has also featured in three NRC campaigns as a professional first with the Melbourne Rising and then the NSW Country Eagles.
LA will boast impressive depth at hooker in their first MLR campaign with ex-Ireland u20 rep Sean McNulty set to be confirmed from the New England Free Jacks and NOLA Gold’s Lindsey Stevens also making the move having played opposite Vailanu in the Shute Shield with Eastern Suburbs.
