The Utah Warriors have added Les Soloai for the remainder of the 2019 Major League Rugby season. The 32-year-old No. 8 is 6’5″ and 270 lbs.
Les was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but moved with his four sisters and one brother to Queensland, Australia. He attended Keebra Park State High school in Southport and graduated in 2005. The school is well-known for its rugby league program, which has produced numerous state and international players. Les played on the state championship rugby and basketball teams.
He moved to Hawaii in 2007 and played basketball for one year at BYU-Hawaii. He transferred to the University of Hawaii and played football as a defensive end. In 2011 he moved to Utah and played rugby at the University of Utah in 2012.
In Hawaii he played rugby league with the Hawaii Chiefs in the American National Rugby League and in 2012 he played rugby league with the Featherstone Rovers. This led to his selection with the USA Tomahawks for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. The team won against France, the Cook Islands, and Wales before losing in the quarterfinals against Australia. In 2014 he played with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in NSW, Australia.
In 2017 Les signed with the Utah Warriors and played for the team during the inaugural MLR season. With his return to the team in 2019, he looks to make an immediate contribution as he starts at No. 8 against NOLA Gold Rugby Club on April 13.
Other Articles
DJCoil Rugby articles by Doug Coil are also available on Facebook. Other Social Media sites to follow or subscribe include Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for interviews.
