Potu Leavasa
| Birth name | Mailo Potumoe Leavasa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 November 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Apia, Samoa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 242 lb (110 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Potumoe Leavasa, better known as Potu Leavasa, (born 27 November 1971 in Apia) is a Samoan former rugby union player who played as a lock and coach.
Career
He was selected for the Hurricanes in 1997 on the strength of a strong 1996 NPC season with Hawke’s Bay and an impressive tour to Britain with Western Samoa that followed.
His only appearance in the Super 12 competition was when he came as a flanker against the Crusaders in the second round.
Leavasa played for the Central Vikings five times in 1997, previously capped 29 times for Hawke’s Bay.
His first cap for Samoa was during a match against Tonga, at Nuku'alofa, on 29 May 1993. He was part of the 1995 Rugby World Cup roster, playing three matches. Leavasa took also part to the 1996 Samoa tour to Britain. His last international cap was during a match against South Africa, at Pretoria, on 6 July 2002.
Coaching career
Since 2016 he has been working in the coaching staff of the second national team of Samoa, preparing it for matches in the framework of the Americas Pacific Challenge.[1][2] He holds the post of backs coach under Brian Lima as head of the coaching staff.[3]
Personal life
He is father of Potu Leavasa Jr. (born 1996), also a rugby player, who plays as lock for Samoa A national team.[4] He was formed at the Melbourne Rebels Academy[5] and was recruited by the Warringah Rats.[6]
In 1997, Leavasa Sr. was a suspect in the case of the rape of a woman by one of the Hurricanes players in Durban.[7]
References
- ^ Manu Samoa on Facebook Watch, retrieved 29 April 2021
- ^ "Sport: Samoa A make adjustments for must-win clash". RNZ. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Two changes to Samoa A team for their match against Tonga A". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Teams". manusamoa.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Samoa extended squad for Americas Pacific Challenge". Americas Rugby News. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "10 Shute Shield recruits that can win their club a premiership this year". Rugby News. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Justice loses in rugby rape case". Mail & Guardian. 15 August 1997.