New Zealand lock/flanker Jay Tuivaiti played in Major League Rugby during the 2024 season. He represented the San Diego Legion for his entire MLR career.

Tuivaiti’s career has been hampered by serious injuries, including a broken leg in 2018 that necessitated rehabilitation and in 2019 another Fibula injury happened in rugby 7s. He played in the Hawke’s Bay system between 2020-2021, and was part of the Manu Samoa’s 7s Traveling Team to Dubai. He was the Auckland B captain and his performance led him to being named Auckland B Player of the Year in 2022. He moved stateside prior to entering MLR, and helped the Austin Blacks win the USA Rugby Division 1 National Championship in 2023, before his signing was announced by the San Diego Legion on 10th November 2023, ahead of the 2024 MLR season.

Tuivaiti scored 2 tries in 8 games (all starts) for the San Diego Legion in his debut MLR season, helping them secure a solid 11-5 regular season standing. He was named to the MLR Team of the Week for his performance in Round 18, but did not feature for the Legion in the post-season. On November 6th, 2024, the San Diego Legion announced the return of Jay Tuivaiti for the 2025 MLR campaign.

achievements

• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 18