Leilani Latu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leilani Latu

Personal information
Full name	Leilani Latu
Born	(1993-02-05) 5 February 1993 (age 32) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)
Weight	17 st 9 lb (112 kg)
Playing information
Position	Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015–17 Penrith Panthers 49 6 0 0 24 2018–19 Gold Coast Titans 9 0 0 0 0 2020–21 Warrington Wolves 3 1 0 0 4 2020(loan) → Widnes Vikings 1 0 0 0 0 Total 62 7 0 0 28 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015 NSW Residents 1 0 0 0 0 2016– Indigenous All Stars 3 2 0 0 8 2016 NSW City 1 0 0 0 0 2017 Tonga 1 2 0 0 8
As of 9 January 2024

Leilani Latu, born on 5 February 1993, is a talented rugby league player. He has played for the Tonga international team. He is known for playing as a prop. Most recently, he played for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League.

Latu has also played for other big teams. These include the Penrith Panthers and the Gold Coast Titans in Australia's NRL. He also spent time on loan with the Widnes Vikings. Leilani has represented his heritage by playing for the Indigenous All Stars. He also played for the NSW City team.

About Leilani Latu

Leilani Latu was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His family background is quite diverse. He has Tongan, Italian, and Torres Strait Islander heritage.

He started playing rugby league at a young age. He played for the Leichhardt Juniors. Later, he moved to play for the St Johns Eagles in Lakemba. He was then signed by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to continue his junior career.

Rugby League Journey

Starting Out in Rugby

In 2011, Leilani Latu was the captain of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs team. They reached the grand final of the S. G. Ball Cup, which is a competition for young players. After that, he joined their National Youth Competition (NYC) team. He played in the NYC until 2012.

In 2013, he moved up to the Bulldogs' New South Wales Cup team. This was another step closer to playing professional rugby. In 2014, he signed a two-year contract with the Penrith Panthers.

Playing for the Panthers

Latu playing for the Panthers in 2014

On 3 May 2015, Latu played for the New South Wales Residents team. They played against the Queensland Residents. Later that year, in Round 21 of the 2015 NRL season, he made his first ever NRL game. This was for the Panthers against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

On 14 September, he signed a new two-year contract with the Panthers. This meant he would stay with them until the end of 2017. He was also named as the lock in the 2015 New South Wales Cup Team of the Year. In October, he was chosen to play for Tonga for the first time. This was for a World Cup qualifying match.

All-Stars and More Games

On 13 February 2016, Latu played for the Indigenous All Stars team. They played against the World All Stars. He came off the bench and even scored a try in the game. On 20 July, he extended his contract with the Panthers again. This new deal kept him with the team until the end of 2020.

On 10 February 2017, Latu played for the Indigenous All Stars once more. They won their game against the World All Stars. On 6 May 2017, Leilani made his official international debut for Tonga. He scored two tries in their game against Fiji.

Time with the Titans

In 2018, Latu joined the Gold Coast Titans. He made his first game for them in Round 1 of the 2018 NRL season. The Titans won that game against Canberra. Leilani played in six games for the Gold Coast that year. The team finished 14th in the league.

In the 2019 NRL season, Latu played only three games for the Gold Coast. It was a tough year for the team, and they finished last in the competition.

Moving to England

On 21 January 2020, Leilani Latu signed a two-year contract. He moved to England to play for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. However, on 10 February 2021, it was announced that Leilani was leaving Warrington. This was agreed upon by both sides.

Images for kids

• 

  Leilani Latu