The San Diego Legion have signed tighthead prop Fred Apulu for the 2023 Major League Rugby season. A former Samoa u20 international, the 26-year-old makes the move south from the LA Giltinis. At nearly 6’4″ (1.92m) and 270lbs (123kg) he is an imposing figure noted for his powerful ball carrying.
Apulu was born and raised in Samoa but later moved to Hawai’i and is US-eligible on residency. In 2021 he attended a USA Rugby High Performance camp in Colorado and this past season made his professional debut as a replacement against Seattle in June.
After playing as a back at the World Rugby u20 Trophy tournament in 2016, Apulu switched to loose forward but has now made the transition to the front row. He will continue his studies under new Legion scrum coach Alex Corbisiero and joins Nathan Sylvia and Paddy Ryan in San Diego. Another prop, Oliver Kane, was selected in the Collegiate Draft.