The LA Giltinis have added depth to their forward pack with the addition of Sione Tu’ihalamaka for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. A former USA Select XV representative, the 29-year-old makes the move up the coast from the San Diego Legion.
Tu’ihalamaka was the starting loosehead prop for the Legion during the inaugural 2018 campaign but has made only a half-dozen replacement appearances since. Formerly a back row forward, he was mostly used as a blindside flanker in 2019 and did not make an appearance during the 2020 regular season.
Born and raised in Inglewood, Tu’ihalamaka will now look to re-commit to the front row with LA under the tutelage of scrum coach Alex Corbisiero. Of the five props now signed by LA only Ruan Smith is a specialist tighthead with twin brother JP, Blake Rogers, and Mafi Seanoa all primarily looseheads.