Trevor Leota is a
SamoaSamoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n
rugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player for
Bridgend Blue BullsBridgend Blue Bulls RLFC are a rugby league side based in Porthcawl, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wales, having won the Welsh Premier a record five times, as well as winning the Harry Jepson Trophy...
in Wales.
Career
He is a hooker and has been widely recognised as one of the hardest tacklers in the game. Debuted for
Western SamoaThe Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
in 1995 during a tour of the UK. He caught
Nigel MelvilleNigel David Melville is a former England national rugby union team scrum half and captain.He became the youngest player to captain England on his début when he led them against Australia in November 1984. He went onto make another twelve appearances over the next four years.He attended Aireborough...
's eye and was signed by
WaspsLondon Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
in 1997, where he quickly became something of a cult figure for his uncompromising approach on the field of play, his colourful hair styles and his friendly nature off the pitch. For two weeks prior to the 2004
Heineken CupThe Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
final, he was famously assigned a round-the-clock minder by the
WaspsLondon Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
management, in order that he could be prevented from indulging his passion for buckets of
KFCKFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
.
He is a distant cousin of heavyweight boxer
David TuaDavid "Tuamanator" Tua is a New Zealand professional heavyweight boxer, fighting out of South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.He is a former WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion....
. He played for the Cheetahs. He has previously played for Auckland and TE Atatu. He previously played for
Stade MontoisStade Montois is a French rugby union team that plays in the 2011–12 season in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system.They were founded in 1908 and play in yellow and black...
in the French Top 14. He was a member of the 1999 RWC squad and played for the
BarbariansThe Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
in May 2001.
He was also one of the only
rugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
players allowed to play
rugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
over the 2004 summer season in order to keep his weight down. He played for
West London SharksWest London Sharks RLFC is a rugby league team based in Chiswick, Hounslow, Middlesex. West London Sharks are now playing out of Chiswick RFU, Dukes Medow in Chiswick. They compete in the South Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference...
in the
Rugby League ConferenceThe Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
.
In 2010 he joined Welsh rugby league club
Bridgend Blue BullsBridgend Blue Bulls RLFC are a rugby league side based in Porthcawl, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wales, having won the Welsh Premier a record five times, as well as winning the Harry Jepson Trophy...
in the
Rugby League Conference Welsh PremierThe Rugby League Conference Wales is the higher of two Welsh domestic leagues for the sport of rugby league. It forms a Premier division of the Rugby League Conference competition which covers all of Great Britain.-History:...
.
On 28 August 2010 he played in a friendly match for Nuneaton Rugby Club against Blackheath, playing prop.
Between 27 and 29 May 2011, Trevor played at the Phuket Heineken International Rugby 10s tournament in Karon Beach. His most famous victory was as part of the Insead Barbarians team, for whom he played at Out-Half.
External links