By Aaron Wilson
Thousands of miles away from his homeland in Australia, Tautalatasi Tasi has forged a new home here in the United States.
Brick by brick, Tasi has built a foundation through teamwork, leadership and his skills on the rugby field.
The SaberCats’ center has been a key part of the top-seeded Western Conference division champions, working his way back from an injury. Tasi returned to the starting lineup late in the regular season in advance of an upcoming playoff game against the Dallas Jackals on July 20 at SaberCats Stadium.
“It’s been an awesome season so far,” Tasi said. “We pretty much got everything cemented in the preseason and where we want to be as team, the culture as a team. One of the main words is ‘family.’ I think the players and coaches are family-oriented and we have that bond. It carried on and it shows in our results so far this season. It’s been an enjoyable ride so far. We have a couple more games to go. Hopefully, we can go all the way and get that shield.
“I feel like I’ve been able to fit in really well with their plan, especially having my specialty. It’s not an easy position to play. I put my hand up to take that challenge and, hopefully, cementing that spot. The key thing to my game is defense and they say defense wins championships, and attack wins game. My defensive mindset is what I really pride myself on.”
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Tasi, who’s Samoan, moved to Queensland, Australia as a child.
After playing junior rugby for the Goodna Eagles, he was signed by the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Cup. He later played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the North Sydney Bears, in the Queensland Premier League, the Sunwolves and the Toronto Arrows.
Tasi comes from a rugby family.
“It’s helped me immensely,” Tasi said. “My older brother, I look up to him and I’ve been following his career and wanting to mirror his career. I’ve got a little cousin coming up and I try to inspire the next generation and build that legacy.”
Tasi has also played in Tokyo, which was an enriching experience.
“It was awesome living in Tokyo,” he said. “I never take that opportunity for granted. It’s a beautiful place, a really clean country, very honest people, a bit of a language barrier. Nothing like a Google translator. Very good sushi, the best I’ve had.”
Tasi joined the SaberCats after a conversation between his agent and director Heyneke Meyer. A game against Toronto raised awareness about him with the SaberCats.
“They were aware of my game and what I can do,” Tasi said. “That was probably where they had their first experience watching my game. When the offseason came, I was trying to figure out the next step and getting that call from Heyneke led to another conversation.”
Now, Tasi is adding a speedy dimension to the SaberCats revamped roster.
“I bring experience and aggression,” Tasi said. “I just want to bring that hard-charging style to the club.”
As part of a returning playoff squad, Tasi is one of many impactful newcomers.
“Phenomenal guy, Tasi was unbelievable,” SaberCats coach Pote Human said “You can see why everyone thinks so highly of him.”
This marks his second season in Major League Rugby.
When Tasi isn’t playing rugby, he enjoys getting together with his teammates to frequent coffee shops around Houston.
“These Houston cafes are great,” Tasi said. “We’ve been regulars at Brass Tacks. That’s up there, week in and week out. I’m slowly getting around to Houston when it comes to barbecue. I can’t eat too much of it or I’ll turn into a forward.”
