
New Orleans Gold Rugby Club Signs Moni Tongauiha
New Orleans Gold Rugby Club has signed Moni Tongauiha to the team for the inaugural Major League Rugby season that is slated to begin in April, 2018.
Tongauiha grew up in Oakland, California where he played rugby for the Oakland Warthogs in high school. He then joined the Santa Barbara Rugby Academy and benefited from the coaching of Kevin Battle.
Kevin Battle, head coach of the Santa Barbara Rugby Academy indicated in Tongauiha’s 2015 player profile that “Tesimoni ‘Moni’ Tongauiha is the ideal mid-field back: big, fast and tenacious. He brings another element too, as he is a skilled ball distributor and a real student of the game. Keep your eye out for Mone, as he will accomplish great things.”
In October, 2016, Moni scored the opening try for the Santa Barbra NDA as they beat the New Zealand Institute of Sport 32-24. Curtis Reed of This is American Rugby reported on the match. He later went to New Zealand and played with the New Zealand Institute of Sport.
He then played outside center at Life West in 2017, where the team beat the Austin Blacks to advance to the National Club quarterfinals where they lost to Belmont Shore.
August 10, 2017, Tongauiha was selected as a reserve for the USA Islanders match against Saracensat the Bermuda National Sports Centre. The Saracens used the match as a preseason camp in advance of beginning their Aviva Premiership Rugby season.
Tui Osborne, St. Bonaventure Men’s Rugby Head Coach, was a member of the coaching staff for the USA Islanders. Osborne discussed Tongauiha as a player, indicating that “he is a skillful center when you need him to distribute and an elusive runner with ball in hand.”
Moni Tongauiha also commented about his signing with New Orleans Gold indicating that “I feel blessed to be playing professionally. Most kids, especially where I’m from; Oakland, don’t get this opportunity to play professionally especially with rugby.
Playing in NZ really opened my game up as a player and understanding it more. I got to play against some top tier players and gained a lot of experience from it.
The adjustments I’m concerned about is getting use to that humid weather and trying to live with it for 6 months. But other then that. I should be good.”
New Orleans Gold Rugby Club has signed a quality player that will be a key contributor when the season begins in April.
New Orleans Gold Rugby Club Signings
- Nate Osborne – Head Coach
- Todd Fitzgerald – Assistant Head Coach and Assistant General Manager
- Sebastián Kalm – Backrow
- Moni Tongauiha – Center
- Hubert Buydens – Loosehead prop
- Eric Howard – Hooker
Other Articles
DJCoil Rugby articles are available on the Webpage or Facebook. Other Social Media sites to follow or subscribe include Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for interviews.
By DJCoil Rugby / Photo by Gold Photography
Recent Posts
Week 17 Starting Roster
Brought to you by Rob's A/C & Heating. Join us Saturday, June
HIGHLIGHTS | NOLA VS DC
NOLA Gold hosts Old Glory DC in this Eastern Conference clash in
Limited-Edition Retro Jerseys Now Available!
Gold fans now have a chance to bid on a collection of
King Creole Cup: Nola Gold Youth Rugby Tournament
Play youth rugby matches in the stadium on the Nola Gold home
FIRST XV | WK14
LOOSEHEAD PROP, JACK ISCARO – OLD GLORY DC 68 Meters Run 15
News Tags
Archives
- June 2023 (2)
- May 2023 (13)
- April 2023 (14)
- March 2023 (16)
- February 2023 (10)
- January 2023 (6)
- December 2022 (2)
- November 2022 (3)
- October 2022 (3)
- September 2022 (8)
- August 2022 (4)
- July 2022 (1)
- June 2022 (9)
- May 2022 (17)
- April 2022 (19)
- March 2022 (18)
- February 2022 (8)
- January 2022 (4)
- December 2021 (2)
- November 2021 (4)
- October 2021 (4)
- September 2021 (1)
- August 2021 (3)
- July 2021 (2)
- June 2021 (3)
- May 2021 (1)
- April 2021 (9)
- March 2021 (1)
- February 2021 (5)
- December 2020 (3)
- November 2020 (2)
- October 2020 (4)
- September 2020 (5)
- May 2020 (1)
- March 2020 (9)
- February 2020 (9)
- January 2020 (6)
- December 2019 (5)
- November 2019 (4)
- October 2019 (6)
- September 2019 (3)
- August 2019 (4)
- June 2019 (11)
- May 2019 (25)
- April 2019 (21)
- March 2019 (17)
- February 2019 (11)
- January 2019 (4)
- November 2018 (3)
- June 2018 (2)
- May 2018 (15)
- April 2018 (6)
- February 2018 (6)
- January 2018 (5)
- December 2017 (1)
- November 2017 (10)
- October 2017 (4)
- September 2017 (5)