Austin Elite Rugby re-signed LaRome White for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 26-year-old prop is 6’3″ and 260 lbs.
LaRome played in all five matches during the truncated 2020 season, starting once. In 2019, he played 585 minutes in 12 matches and scored two tries in 2019. He carried 43 times for 215 meters, had 1 tackle break, 2 offloads, and made 89 tackles. Following the 2019 season, he played with Old Blue in the American Rugby Premiership. In 2018 he played for the Seattle Seawolves.
White grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and played football at Eastern High School, where he graduated in 2012. He was introduced to rugby by the Middletown Warriors in 2010 and continued with the sport when he went to the University of Louisville in 2012.
Initially, he played center his freshman year at the University of Louisville and then switched to prop his Sophmore year. His time in the backs was an asset as he ran through the defense and scored a try at the 2016 Derby City 7s. In Summer 2016, he went to South Africa and attended the Sharks Academy and honed his skills under the tutelage of South African Springbok prop, Tendai Mtawarira.
White was invited to the 2017 AIG Men’s Collegiate All-American Identification camp in January 2017 at Chula Vista Elite Training Center. He was also voted best in position for D1-AA by FloRugby.com.
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“Turn on Rome’s tape and you’ll see a guy that draws in two or more defenders every carry,” says AG’s head coach Sam Harris. “The stopwatch doesn’t lie, Rome is quick to his feet for a big fella’ and gets back into the fight.”
In 2020, White led the AG’s with a club-high 99.5% made tackle percentage and was a consummate professional in the clubhouse. The AG’s 2020 front-row was one tough practice unit with Uruguayan prop Juan Echeverria, All Black Jamie Mackintosh, and USA Eagle hopeful Mason Pederson.
“Iron sharpens iron,” says White. “I want to be the best prop I can be, and I have another opportunity to compete for six straight months with an All Black (Mackintosh) and a soon-to-be Eagle (Pederson), I mean I can’t wait.”
White went on to play at the University of Louisville where he took on the starting center role. As a sophomore, White transitioned to prop and shined as an athletic ball carrier and stout defender. The Louisville coaching staff helped fundraise an opportunity to send White to the Sharks Academy in South Africa, where the young prop fast-tracked his transition to the front row under the tutelage of Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira.
“Guys like ‘Whoppa’ and Tendai are two of the best props in world rugby and now I’ve gotten to learn from both of them,” says White.
Welcome back to the AG’s, LaRome White!
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