Rugby United New York Adds Sakaria Taulafo

Rugby United New York signed Sakaria Taulafo for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 37-year-old (38 in January) loosehead prop is 6’0″ and 275 lbs.

ZaK played for the Colorado Raptors in 2020, starting four matches and appearing in the other match as a reserve during the truncated MLR season.

Sakaria was born in Savaii, Samoa, and lived in the village of Asau Savai’i and Malie Upolu. He played in 2001 for the Samoa U19s on tour in Chile and for the U18s that year.

He moved to New Zealand in 2002 to attend Nelson College on a rugby scholarship and played for the school’s 1st XV rugby side. The Nelson Rugby Football Club, the first rugby club in New Zealand, is where he began playing rugby after school. He then played for Nelson Bays from 2003-2005 and for the Tasman Makos from 2006-2009.

After he first played for Manu Samoa in the November tests, he was signed by the London Wasps and played with them from 2009-2013 in the English Premiership. With the Wasps, he played in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

From 2013-2018 he played in the French Top 14 League for Stade Francais. He played in the Heineken Cup and in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

Sakaria spent the 2018-2019 season with Ceret in the French Federale 1 League. He also played for Samoa A in 2019 and returned to Samoa and played rugby locally to be considered for inclusion in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Unfortunately, Sakaria was disappointed to not be included in the selection for the Rugby World Cup.

Zac should be a good addition in New York for 2021. Teams can’t have enough props with international experience.

Samoa National Team

Sakaria has 44 caps, 39 of them starts, for the Samoa National XVs Team from 2009-2016. He made his debut against Wales on November 13, 2009, and his last test was against Canada on November 25, 2016. He played in two Rugby World Cups in 2011 and in 2015, starting all eight matches.