LA Giltinis Re-Signs Cyrille Cama

The LA Giltinis signed Cyrille Cama through the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The 20-year-old back-row /hooker (21 in April) is 5’11” and 225 lbs.

The Giltinis signed Cyrille on a short-term 2021 contract after injuries, the Olympics, and international impacting their squad. He played 26 minutes in one regular-season match. He also played for the LA Giltiis Academy team, as well as with the Rhinos Rugby Academy. He attended the USA High-Performance Pathway Camp, a nine-week Fall camp at Glendale, Colorado, and played against MLR Academy and other representative teams.

Cyrille is from Natokalau, Kubulau, Fiji. He played rugby at St Agnes Primary School in Nabua before his parents, three siblings, and he migrated to the United States in 2013.

Cyrille was the captain of the St John Bosco Rugby team for two years and also played football as a linebacker. He also played for the USA U20s, as well as for the Rhinos Rugby Academy Sacramento.

With the latter, he progressed through the Academy program to the High-Performance Program and was selected for the Rhinos Tens professional team which played at the World Tens Series in Bermuda in 2020.

Cyrille joined the LA Giltinis after playing for the Giltinis Academy team in 2021 and his performance led to his signing a two-year MLR contract through 2023.

LA Giltinis Comments

Rhinos Rugby Academy Chief Executive Andreea Trufasu expressed her delight in 2021 that Cama has been recognized. “Our coaches, staff, players, and student-athletes are proud of Cyrille, a Los Angeles native, earning this opportunity with the Giltinis,” Trufasu said. “We and his family are very proud of his journey of finding his pathway in rugby, college, and life and his values as a person. He is also respected as a youth rugby coach and mentor to others.”

The athletic Fijian-born backrower is a USA Eagles Under-20s selection and is touted as ‘an Eagle in the making’. Despite having applied most of his trade in the backroad, he is fast becoming a crafty hooker.

“I really enjoyed my experience at the Giltinis last season, and am very honored to have the opportunity to do it again next season and beyond,” said Cyrille. “All of the players were great when I was in camp, and I am looking forward to joining them again and continuing to grow my game.”

Giltinis General Manager and former Wallabies Hooker Adam Freier said the Club had been monitoring Cama’s progress for some time. “We saw Cama playing for the Rhinos Rugby Academy in 2020, and we knew back then he was a player with enormous potential – The fact he players both back-row and hooker shows he has a unique skill set.

“Having spent the last few years dedicated to his craft and being nurtured at the Rhino’s Academy, he is now ready to take the next step and be a full-time MLR player.” “He is a great kid; well mannered, humble, and hard-working, and has a great opportunity in front of him.”