| Date of birth | 8 February 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 125 kg (19 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Kelston Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | David Tua (distant cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Trevor Leota (born 8 February 1975) is a New Zealand-born former rugby union player for Samoa. He currently coaches at the Footscray Bulldogs in Melbourne, Australia.[1] Leota was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and won 30 caps for Samoa.
Career
He is a hooker and has been widely recognised as one of the hardest tacklers in the game.[2][3][4] He made his debut for Western Samoa in 1995 during a tour of the UK. He caught Nigel Melville's eye and was signed by Wasps in 1997, where he quickly became something of a cult figure for his uncompromising approach on the field, his colourful hair styles and his friendly nature off the pitch. Whilst at Wasps he helped them win the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 1999 and 2000; scoring a try in the latter final.[5][6] For two weeks prior to the 2004 Heineken Cup final, Wasps strength and conditioning coach Paul Stridgeon moved into Leota's house to prevent him from indulging his passion for buckets of KFC.[7][8][9] He helped Wasps win a hat-trick of Premiership titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005, playing in all three finals (2005 as a replacement).[10][11][12]
He is a second cousin of Va'aiga Tuigamala and a former member of the same New Zealand schoolboys side as Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen.
He is a distant cousin of heavyweight boxer David Tua. He played for the Cheetahs. He has previously played for Auckland and Te Atatū. He previously played for Stade Montois in the French Top 14. He was a member of Samoa's 1999 World Cup squad and played for the Barbarians in May 2001. He was also one of the only rugby union players allowed to play rugby league over the 2004 summer season in order to keep his weight down. He played for West London Sharks in the Rugby League Conference.[13]
In 2010 he joined Welsh rugby league club Bridgend Blue Bulls in the Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier.
On 28 August 2010 he played in a friendly match for Nuneaton Rugby Club against Blackheath, playing prop.
References
- ↑ "Former Samoan RU international signs for Bridgend". rleague.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Samoa loses England-based forwards for World Cup". Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 September 2003. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Leota set for Broncos| Sport". London Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 22 May 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Who is the most feared defender in world rugby.?". Sportscomet.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Wasps win Cup at last". BBC. 16 May 1999. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ↑ "Wasps deny Saints cup double". BBC. 13 May 2000. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ↑ "Rugby Union: Heineken Cup Final: Minder Keeps Leota Hungry". Buzzle.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Leota proud of reputation| Sport". London Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Howley's opportunism helps Wasps to revel in greatest day". The Times. UK. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ↑ "Wasps romp to title". BBC. 31 May 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ↑ "Wasps 10-6 Bath". BBC. 29 May 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ↑ "Leicester 14-39 Wasps". BBC. 14 May 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ↑ Andy Wilson (17 August 2004). "Broncos chase Kiwi cash as Leota looks to league". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
Leota, who played league as a teenager, has been guesting for the Sharks for the last month with permission from the Wasps director of rugby Warren Gatland.