Thomas Tu'avao

Thomas James Tu’avao (born October 27, 1993) is an English-born American professional rugby union player.

Biography
Tu’avao, son of former Leigh Centurions rugby league player Hamoni Tu'avao, was born in Cheshire in the north of England and is of Tongan descent. He attended Wade Deacon High School and played rugby league for Widnes St Maries during his youth. Finishing his schooling in California, Tu’avao was a football player at Stockton's Lincoln High School and continued with the sport in college, playing as a defensive lineman.

A back-row forward, Tu’avao moved to Utah after completing missionary work for the LDS Church and began playing for the Utah Misfits. He has played Major League Rugby for the Utah Warriors since 2020 and made his international debut for the United States in 2023, gaining his first cap against Romania in Bucharest.