From Hauula to Houston, Oahu native chases professional rugby title

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Professional rugby is a dazzling combination of high-octane speed and grueling physicality.

Dom Akina wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Hauula native is a playmaker with Major League Rugby’s Houston Sabercats.

He grew up in the islands and moved away to the continental U.S. before high school.

“You know how Hawaii is. It’s two, three families in one small house, so growing up with all the cousins and all my aunties and uncles, it was fun,” Akina said. “You’re really close with your family.”

Akina went to Western Oregon University on a football scholarship, but the school also offered Division 1 rugby, and he decided to give it a try with no prior experience.

“A lot of the boys that I was with are from Hawaii as well, and we were all football players,” Akina said. “It was something to do after football practice. We would just go to the field and mess around.”

Just messing around actually turned into much more. Akina found his football skillset translated naturally.

“Everybody wants to get their hands on the ball and just do something, so when rugby was saying we could play both offense and defense, just nonstop tackling and running around, that really interested me a lot,” Akina said.

After leaving school, he landed a roster spot after a tryout with Major League Rugby.

Five years later, he’s an experienced veteran trying to lead the Sabercats franchise to a league title.

In such a demanding game, his body has paid the price.

“Right now, it’s been two weeks, I’ve had a fracture in my finger, but I’m still playing on it,” Akina said. “I just put a little tape around, and we call it good. Ankle injuries are normal in every sport, hamstring injuries because you’re running, pretty much anything you can think of, but no surgeries.”

Akina is among a handful of Hawaii natives to play in the league and is hoping to get a shot at representing Team USA in the 2028 Olympics.

“It’s a huge honor and privilege, especially representing my last name, Akina, and my other family, Utu-Tavanu,” Akina said. “Representing our family and being able to showcase our talents at the highest level, that’s a real honor for me.”