Tonga Kofe, the United States’ strongman, is anticipated to make his initial appearance for Leicester Tigers this Friday. This follows his summer transition from the Utah Warriors to the club, where he is set to play in the PREM Rugby Cup against Newcastle Red Bulls.
The 29-year-old player’s switch to Leicester occurred in August. This was after a relatively brief two-year stint in professional rugby within Major League Rugby, a career move that followed his prior involvement in American Football.
Before his transition to rugby, the 143kg forward proudly represented the Portland Vikings in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Moreover, he distinguished himself as a state champion wrestler.
In the period preceding his transfer to the Midlands, he received the first of his three USA caps to date. He participated in the match against England as a substitute, and he will rejoin the Eagles after this upcoming game as they prepare to compete against Georgia and Romania.
The day following the match held at Kingston Park, Kofe’s teammates will be competing against Scotland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
Scotland
USA
The American athlete will be included in a team managed by Neil Fowkes, showcasing a combination of seasoned players and emerging talent.
Geoff Parling, the head coach at Leicester, commented on the acquisition of the prop, saying, “Tonga is a prop who is new to rugby but who we believe possesses considerable potential. He exhibits impressive physical strength, and from conversations with his coaches in America, his eagerness to learn is particularly evident. We are excited about welcoming Tonga, along with his wife and their daughter, Lisa Rose, to Mattioli Woods Welford Road.”
Leicester Tigers XV
15 Charlie Titcombe
14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb
13 Will Wand
12 Joseph Woodward (C)
11 George Pearson
10 Orlando Bailey
9 Ollie Allan
1 Tarek Haffar
2 Finn Theobald Thomas
3 Tonga Kofe
4 Harry Wells
5 Tom Manz
6 Josh Manz
7 Sam Williams
8 Joaquin Moro
Replacements
16 John Stewart
17 Tubuna Maka
18 Ale Loman
19 James Thompson
20 Harry Palmer
21 Charlie Bemand
22 Ryan Crowley
23 Tom Threlfall
