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Leicester Tigers set to sign one of the heaviest rugby players on the planet - 23 stone plus Nephi Leatigaga
By
Ian Cameron
Leicester Tigers, whose Premiership fortunes took a dramatic upswing last week, have unsurprisingly been linked with a raft of players as the season draws to a close.
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Of the biggest players – in a literal sense – set to sign is Samoan international Nephi Leatigaga. The Mail Online are reporting that giant loosehead is heading to Welford Road this summer.
Leatigaga stands six foot four inches and tips the scales at an impressive 150kg, making him one of the heaviest professional players on the planet. By comparison, that’s 35kg (the guts of five stone) heavier than current first choice Tigers’ loosehead Ellis Genge (116kg).
Leatigaga is still a couple of kilos shy of both Ben Tameifuna (153kg) and Uini Antonio (152kg), albeit the Samoan cuts a somewhat leaner figure than either of those behemoths.
Despite his massive dimensions, his club nickname at Biarritz is ‘Lady Gaga’ – a crude and somewhat predictable bastardisation of his Samoan surname.
The massive loosehead was actually linked with the Premiership sides this time last year, before going on to play a season with Biarritz in the ProD2.
RugbyRama reported in 2018 that the 25-year-old was headed to Leicester, albeit in the summer of 2019.
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In the backs there are also incoming signing.
It was also reported at the end of last year that Leicester closing in on Leinster centre Noel Reid, who has one cap for Ireland – a move that looks to be going ahead. His ability to play multiple positions in the back line is apparently highly-prized by the Gallagher Premiership outfit.
Reid has over 100 appearances for Leinster but has failed to behind Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose and increasingly Rory O’Loughlin in the centres. His ability to cover 10, 12 and the 15 have made him a valuable asset to be deployed from the bench.
His signature is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
