Danny Tusitala Earns 50th MLR Cap

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
May 28, 2023 - 9:00pm

Danny Tusitala has achieved a first among Old Glory players, earning his 50th MLR cap against the Seattle Seawolves yesterday. This was also Old Glory's 50th match, with the team having played 5 matches in 2020, 16 in 2021, 16 in 2022, and 13 so far in 2023.

Tusitala has been an permanent fixture of OGDC, starting in every single one of those matches. He is frequently one of the most heavily used players as well, rarely stepping off the pitch for more than 5-10 minutes. In total, he's played approximately 3,750 minutes of the 4,000 that OGDC has played, a whopping 94%.

Interestingly, though, those caps haven't all been at scrumhalf. In 2021 he started one match at flyhalf as the team tried to find a replacement for the injured Jason Robertson. He only played for a single half at 10, however, before switching back to scrumhalf and letting Mike Dabulas take over the flyhalf role.

He has also been a vocal leader on the team, which led to his appointment as captain of the team in 2022. He didn't end up holding on to that role in this season, though, as the constraints of the captaincy seemed to limit his natural firebrand play style.

Tusitala's fieriness on the pitch and recognizable hair made him an instant hit with the fans. That earned a multi-year contract that should see him stick around in DC for years to come.