Austin Herd signed Potu Leavasa Jr. for the 2020 Major League Rugby season. The 23-year-old (24 in Jan.) back row is 6’5″ and 265lbs.
Potu is from Samoa and moved with his family to New Zealand as a youth. He attended St John’s College, an all-boys school in Hamilton, New Zealand.
In 2013 he played for Auckland Uner-20s and in 2014 in the Jack Hobbs Cup in the U19s tournament before suffering a broken hand. During the 2014-15 season he played for Hamilton Marist Waikato in the ITM U20s.
In 2015-2016 he began playing for the Melbourne Rebels U20s squad, the Rebels Super Rugby Development Squad, as well as for Endeavour Hills.
In 2016 he played for the Southend Saxons in the National 2 Division in the U.K. and in 2017-18 for the Warringah Rugby Club in the Shute Shield a premier grade club tournament in New South Wales.
Potu was selected for Samoa A, which won the World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge in 2018. He also participated in the World Rugby Pacific Combine, which focused on identifying and developing players.
Austin Herd Comments
“Potu is an exciting young up and coming second/back-rower.” quoted Todd Clever, Austin Herd Director of Rugby “ He has been a standout in the Shute Shield for Warringah Rats and coming through the Samoa A and World Rugby Pacific Combine programs. A physical ball carrier with soft handling skills in contact; a combination we’re excited to add into the mix for 2020.”
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