Utah Warriors announce full roster for 2019 season

The Utah Warriors announced their full roster for the 2019 season this week. Utah’s roster features 21 returning players, led by Tonata Lauti, Major League Rugby’s leading try-scorer in 2018.

Joining Lauti are Second-Team All-MLR members Alex Tucci and Matt Jensen along with Jared Whippy and brother Josh Whippy who both missed much of last season after suffering season-ending leg injuries. In addition to the 21 returning players, the Warriors announced the team has added eighteen new players to the team, including Mitre 10 and Super Rugby level players Johnny Ika (Srumhalf), Gannon Moore (Center/Wing), Tim O’Malley (Flyhalf) and James Semple (Flyhalf).

Utah Warriors GM Kimball Kjar felt that the combination of returning players and new talent would help the team in 2019. “Our collective experience with this 2019 team is impressive. Adding the level of talent to the mix has had an impact in training and practice and we feel that it will pay big dividends in the matches and throughout the season.”

A combination of local players along with international talent plays a critical role in the make-up of the Warriors roster for the second year in a row. Utah’s 2019 roster is comprised of 16 players who have ties to the local Utah community while also boasting players from 10 countries around the world.

Along with the new faces on the roster, Utah announced that the team has added four new coaches to the staff. The new coaches include former international player and Scotland U20 head coach Stevie Scott as the Forwards Coach, former Super Rugby professional player James Semple as the Backs Coach, former USA Eagles player Matt Byrd as Strength and Conditioning Coach and Mark Drown as the Team Manager.

Semple is listed as both an assistant coach as well as an active player on Utah’s roster as his contract allows him to play on the team as a Flyhalf. It is expected that Semple will see action during the season for the Warriors.

The Utah Warriors are entering their second professional season as members of Major League Rugby. A major focus when constructing the Warriors’ roster and coaching staff was building on the success the Warriors experienced last season, success that included a spot in the MLR Playoffs, while also looking to improve the team’s training and defense.

“We are light years ahead of where we were at this time last year and I credit that to Coaches Scott, Semple, Drown, and Byrd. They have all provided invaluable training, focus and professionalism to the boys,” Warriors Head Coach Alf Daniels said. “In the international rugby circles, each of these men are well-known and respected as high-performance experts.”

The Warriors’ will begin play on Friday, February 1st at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas against the Austin Elite. The first home match for Utah will be on Saturday, February 23rd against the Glendale Raptors at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.

2019 UTAH WARRIORS ROSTER

NAME -- POSITION -- CLUB Rugby Vernon Ale -- Wing/Fullback -- SLC Spartans Josh Anderson -- Wing -- BYU Jake Christmann -- Scrumhalf -- Glendale Ben Connolly --Center/Wing -- Southern Districts Rugby Club (Sydney, AUS) John Cullen -- Flanker/Lock -- PC Haggis Logan Daniels -- Prop/Hooker -- Waikato Ara Elkington -- Flanker -- BYU/Humless Iniki Fa'amausili -- Center -- Glendale Jahmin Gernhoefer -- Flanker -- Souths Rugby Club (Brisbane, AUS) Maika Hafoka -- Eightman -- SLC Spartans Johny Ika -- Scrumhalf/FB -- Hawkes Bay RFC (NZ), Tonga A Matt Jensen -- Lock -- BYU Jackson Kaka -- Flanker -- BYU/Humless Tonata Lauti -- Wing -- Mana Ian Luciano -- Scrumhalf -- Mystic River Angus MacLellan -- Prop -- Chicago Lions Jeremy Misailegalu -- Wing/Center -- Seattle Seawolves Gannon Moore -- Center -- Northland Huluholo Moungaloa -- Prop -- Life West Joe Nicholls -- Scrumhalf -- PC Haggis Tim O'Malley -- Flyhalf -- Tasman RFC (NZ) Peni Pahulu -- Center -- Humless Don Pati -- Fullback/Utility -- PC Haggis Simon Quickfall -- Scrumhalf -- Northcote RFC (NZ) Josh Reeves -- Flyhalf -- Brazil Rugby Kendrick Scott -- Flanker -- Kansas City Blues James Semple -- Flyhalf/Utility -- Waikato Nolan Tuamoheloa -- Wing -- Kau Toa Alex Tucci -- Prop -- Okapi Wanderers AJ Tuineau -- Center -- West Valley Lions Saia Uhila -- Flanker/Lock -- Utah Brothers Fetumoana Vainikolo -- Wing/Center -- Pau Franco Van den Berg -- Prop -- Blue Bulls Alex Vorster -- Hooker -- BYU Viliami Vuli -- Lock/Flanker -- NA Josh Whippy -- Center/Fullback -- BYU/Humless Jared Whippy -- Flyhalf/Center -- BYU/Humless Calvin Whiting -- Center -- BYU Lance Williams -- Flanker -- Hawai’i