Matai Leuta joined the Harvard Women’s Rugby coaching staff as an assistant coach during the 2026 spring 7s season and enters his first season with the program in 2025-26.
Prior to Harvard, Leuta gained extensive experience as a coach and player, including representing the United States twice in the Olympics in men’s rugby at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games. Leuta helped the U.S. finish sixth in Tokyo and eighth in Paris.
Leuta began competing with the United States National Team in 2015, including representing the U.S. at the 2018 Rugby 7s World Cup with a sixth-place finish. Leuta competed in over 200 international matches for the U.S.
As part of a decorated playing career, Leuta tallied 10 World Sevens Series medals, including three cup final wins, captured two Premier Rugby Sevens championships, and earned five caps with the USA Eagles 15s.
Leuta has competed in Premier Rugby Sevens as well as in Major League Rugby with the Houston SaberCats (2022), Chicago Hounds (2023), and San Diego Legion (2024).
Leuta’s coaching background has included time as a High Performance Coach with Rugby Tens, as a coach with Rhinos Rugby Academy, and as a technical skills coach with the USA Falcons and USA U18s. Among his coaching skills, Leuta has led high-performance programming, designed technical skills and tactical development systems, and built disciplined, accountable performance cultures.
