San Diego Legion signed Brendan “Aminae” Amiatu-Tanoi for the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The 18-year-old 8-man is 6’3″ and 230 lbs.
Aminae is from Anchorage, Alaska. He attended Robert Service High School before transferring to West Anchorage High School where he graduated in 2022. At both schools, he played varsity football as a defensive tackle and defensive end.
After graduating, he moved to San Diego, California to join the Legions Junior Academy and also played with the Carsbad Thunder. He was selected for the USA U18s tour to Europe, and after attending the USA Men’s High-Performance Pathway Winter Camp at the end of December 2022, he was selected for the USA Hawks South American/Charlotte, North Carolina Tour against Super League Americas Development Squads, as well as international competition.
Aminae is the first and youngest player from the Legions Junior Academy to join the senior San Diego Legion squad, as well as the youngest player in MLR.