Polaulu during the HS club championship /// Photo: Summit Lights Photography. See more amazing photos here. •
Among the many strong candidates for High School Forward of the Year, it’s tough to argue that Ana Polaulu isn’t the strongest – literally. Not only is the graduating senior the embodiment of what makes Sacramento so exciting, but the loose forward was also instrumental in leading the NorCal team to its second-ever* national championship.
Akin to fellow flanker Jaida Kafovalu and championship MVP Mele Tausinga, Polaulu was one of several middle schoolers who helped Sacramento to its first national title in 2010 (photo inset). She learned the game alongside well knowns like 7s Eagle Joanne Fa’avesi, Angela Ve’evalu and Suli Tausinga, and developed into the Amazon archetype: big, strong, mobile and skilled.
Polaulu upped her rugby IQ by competing on regional all-star teams, and by sophomore year she was ready to lead the forwards (photo inset). She flourished in that elevated role, attended Stars & Stripes, and then was selected to last summer’s Girls High School All-American (GHSAA) team. A prop at the national age-grade level, she started both games against the B.C. U18s, and once again, injected that uncontainable power that gets play careening forward and defenses shuddering backward. She was joined by Sacramento teammate and scrumhalf Maryjane Pasioles, and the GHSAAs dominated the series 103-17.
“Ana is a hard runner and breaks at least 2-3 tackles before going down. She’s a great decision-maker and ball-handler also,” said Sacramento coach David Tausinga, who also praised Polaulu’s consistent, hard work in the breakdowns and role as motivator.
But there was one more job to accomplish before Polaulu, Tausinga and Kafovalu graduated this spring: Recreate the heights of winning a national championship. Fallbrook had won the previous five titles since losing to Sacramento in 2010, and the national club tournament in Ellensburg, Wash., was the last opportunity to lift a trophy before the seniors scattered to the wind.
It was a difficult build, as the NorCal league saw Sacramento starved for games, but once the Amazons took the pitch at Central Washington, there was no question as to whether they’d feature in the final. After a year’s absence from nationals, the field was quickly reacquainted with the physical, adventurous play that marks Sacramento. Polaulu and Kafovalu anchored the back row, and sophomore Eti Haungatau, who had moved to No. 8 from inside center, completed an insatiably aggressive unit. They set the tone for wins against South Bay, Pleasanton and Fallbrook en route to the national title.
“Ana and Jaida mentored Eti, and the three together were a nice combination rotating between 6, 7, 8,” said Tausinga, who credited forwards coach Etueni Samate for the direction. “Ana has been a great mentor to our upcoming forward pack and is very excited to leave the pack in Eti’s hands.”
It’s tough to talk about Polaulu individually because it’s her work with and around her teammates that is special. That unity is also what makes Sacramento our High School Team of the Year. The club has had its struggles and is now more stable in its relationship with the Sacramento Police Activities League. But while Sacramento sought to fortify itself, it was those athletes who have been playing together for six years who propelled a special squad at the right time in replicating the club’s greatest achievement.
As for Polaulu, she has been heavily recruited by collegiate rugby programs and is choosing to stay closer to home for the time being. She’ll stay active with the Sacramento women’s team, which competes in NorCal’s DII club league. She will no doubt be on the sidelines cheering on the high school squad, which will look to continue a legacy that Polaulu helped establish.
* Luther Burbank, which was the precursor to the Sacramento Amazons, won the 2003 national championship. Wisconsin’s Divine Savior Holy Angels then went on a six-year title run before the Amazons returned to the national final in 2010.
For more background on Polaulu’s and Sacramento’s path to the national title, read:
NorCal Trophy Returns to Sacramento
#AnaPolaulu Sacramento