Old Glory DC re-signed Danny Tusitala for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 29-year-old scrumhalf is 5’11” and 182 lbs.
He played club rugby for Ardmore Marist and played for New Zealand Marist in 2011.
In 2015 Danny had a trial with the Samoa National Sevens Team before switching to rugby 15s in 2016. He played for Samoa A in the 2016 Americas Pacific Challenge. He made his for the Samoa National Team against Georgia on June 11, 2016, and played the last of his 3 tests against Canada on November 25, 2016.
From 2017-2019 he played for Aurillac in the French Pro D2 and in 2019 played with Ponsonby Rugby Club. With the latter club, he worked his way through the 1st U85kg Hustlers to the Premier Development team to the Premier Auckland Mitre 10 Cup team during 2019.
Danny also played rugby sevens for Samoa from 2018-2019 on the HSBC Sevens Series.
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During the 2020 MLR season, Tusitala played 390 minutes at scrumhalf for Old Glory in five matches and ended the shortened season with two tries, 302 passes, 23 ball carries over 127 meters, 14 kicks over 389 meters, and 31 tackles. The spirited Auckland native quickly became a D.C. crowd favorite largely because of his fiery personality on the pitch and his reputation for sporting an equally wild bleached hair-do. Tusitala joined the team leadership group, adding a high tier of professionalism, experience, and knowledge that proved invaluable during the 2020 season. He served as an attack leader, helping Coach Douglas and other leaders devise game plans each week of the MLR season.
“Danny had a great debut MLR season and proved to be one of the elite halfbacks in the competition,” said Head Coach Andrew Douglas. “He is an important member of the squad. He brings speed, leadership, and energy to our group and understands the game very well. When Danny is on the field, things happen and his ability to read the game and predict play is high class. He is a leader in our group and gives the team a point of difference and confidence. It’s great to have him back in DC and I’m looking forward to working with him again.”
Since March, Tusitala has been residing in Auckland with his wife and three kids. Tusitala launches a new chapter in this MLR career in 2021.
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