Junior Tavai joins All-American Varsity rugby team

By Maya MacGregor
Online Sports Editor

Justus Tavai follows in family footsteps, playing rugby for the same USA Varsity Squad as his brother.
Over winter break, junior Tavai focused on furthering his rugby skills by attending the Boys High School All-American Winter Camp in Arizona.Tavai was recruited for the USA Varsity Squad and will compete in France and Belgium with the team.
USA rugby hosts the six-day camp, which consists of 113 rugby players, freshmen through seniors, from high schools across the United States. Select attendees are recruited for the All-American varsity team based on their performance throughout their time at the camp. The varsity team then competes in tournaments nationally.
“Playing with kids from all around the country was exciting because I got to meet a variety of new coaches and players,” Tavai said. “I believe that playing under the USA coaches made me a better athlete.”
Tavai’s coaches from the Griffin Select Side Team had recruited him for the camp. His brother, Jahlani Tavai, is a former member of the same USA rugby team from the All-American Camp and currently plays football for the University of Hawaii.
“Although I have some things to fix, I believe that I have talent, and that rugby is in my blood,” Justus Tavai said. “The camp gave me the opportunity to share the skills I learned with the Costa team.”
At the camp, the athletes worked on individual skill sets, as well as participated in scrimmages, allowing the coaches to see each player’s talents for recruiting purposes. The coaches selected athletes to play on the USA junior varsity or varsity teams.
“It is clear to me that he learned a great deal at his camp because he has been able to impart that knowledge onto his teammates,” Costa rugby coach Duke Dulgarian said. “He just has a better feel for the game and has been able to add refinements to his skills.”
Justus Tavai will play with the USA Varsity Rugby Squad, a division of the All-American camp, in France and Belgium March 28 – April 8. To qualify for this opportunity, Tavai was ranked the top player for number eight, a position in rugby.
“I am very excited to play in different countries.” Justus Tavai said. “Traveling around the world while competing is a once in a lifetime experience.”
Justus Tavai also plays for the Mira Costa rugby team; however, at the start of the season, he was recovering from a shoulder injury. When he returned, Justus Tavai received a red card at the Granite Hills rugby match for commiting a foul, resulting in his suspension for most of the season.
“This has been a frustrating season for not only for Justus, but also our team,” Dulgarian said. “I believe that if Justus had been healthy there was a good chance we would have beat Dana Hills in our first match and against St. John Bosco, we would have won.”