Tolutau’s rugby journey taking him to Bermuda
Staff Writer
Vili Tolutau will never turn down a chance to play rugby, especially when it gives him a chance to travel.
So when Tolutau was tapped to play for the Asia Pacific Dragons in the World Tens Series — a new international, professional tournament to be held in Bermuda next month — he jumped at the chance.
“One of my old teammates from the Seattle Seawolves, he just set me up maybe like two weeks ago and asked me if I was interested in going to this tens tournament in Bermuda and I just told him ‘let’s do it,’ “Tolutau said Saturday. “I gave my contact info to the Asia Pacific Dragons and we just hooked up the coaches for the selections.
“I guess they saw some game film and I got selected for it.”
The 2012 Baldwin High School graduate has been trying to keep in shape and working for his uncle’s rock-wall business while waiting for Major League Rugby to resume in 2021 after the most recent season was called off in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The eight-team tournament in Bermuda will run from Oct. 24-Nov. 7. Tolutau will report to Bermuda for training on Oct. 14 in a style of the game he has never played — traditional rugby is 15 players per side, while the Olympic version of the game uses seven players per team.
He is intrigued by the 10-players-per-side game.
“Usually there’s eight players in the scrum, but in tens there’s only five,” he said. “I usually play flanker, but they’ve been working me at hooker and in tens there is no flanker. So they have me out at hooker for this.”
He said a trip to Bermuda is a bonus. “That’s why I’m excited for this because I’ve never been to Bermuda and every trip to a new place is always exciting,” Tolutau said. “I heard it’s a nice place to go diving, so I’m
excited for that.”
Tolutau graduated from Central Washington University in 2018 with a degree in construction management with a minor in business after a standout rugby career there.
He hopes to use his experience in Bermuda to prepare for the Seawolves season and another shot at the U.S. national team, which he has competed for a few times previously. His career was derailed a bit by a broken left fibula in 2019 that left a seven-inch rod and eight screws in his leg.
“I’m just trying to get back on my feet and back on that USA squad again,” Tolutau said. “I feel 100 percent healthy, but when I play in Seattle and it’s cold it kind of itches. Other than that - training-wise, running-wise — it doesn’t bother me anymore.”
He suffered the injury in the second game of the 2019 season before returning to the Seawolves for the playoffs, where they successfully defended their MLR title. The 2020 season was cancelled five games into the season, bringing Tolutau
home to Maui looking for his next rugby adventure.
His ultimate goal is to make the USA Eagles squad for the Rugby World Cup in the traditional 15s style of play set for 2023 in France. The versatile Tolutau may also have a shot at the national team in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“Just trying to get back into that squad, I think in about three years that World Cup will be coming, so my main goal is to do the small processes ones at a time,” he said. “To make the squad first and then from there make the World Cup team.”