How Hopoates are inspiring wave of new talent in Utah
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Canberra Raiders star Albert Hopoate is humbled that a competition in Utah named after his family is fast becoming a breeding ground for rugby league talent in North America.
The Hopoate Cup has been introduced by the Utah Rugby League Association as demand for the game grows from a series of local Tonga v Samoa matches inspired by the rise of the Pacific nations in recent years.
With a large Polynesian population, Utah has become a hotbed for rugby league in the US, and Jillaroos coach Brad Donald and his Canadian counterpart Mike Castle travelled to Salt Lake City after the NRL double-header in Las Vegas.
Hopoate’s father, John, and former Mate Ma’a Tonga forward Willie Manu also conducted a coaching clinic in Utah last year, and Albert said his brother Will was likely to visit this season.
Albert, Will and John Hopoate are ambassadors for the Utah Rugby League Association.
“My dad's been over, and I think my brother will go soon because he is retired now,” Albert told NRL.com.
“Obviously it's something special just to see our last name is the name of a tournament in America.
“We know only our family here in Australia, but we've got heaps over there. I think there's more Hopoates in America than there are here, and we’ve got a lot here so there must be a whole tribe over there.”
Rachel Pau’u is a cousin of the Hopoate’s from Utah and she was at the NRL Combine in Las Vegas to support a friend, Liz Tafuna, who is set to become the first American to play in the NRLW.
With three male athletes from Utah also competing in the Combine, URLA CEO Melissa Tupou bought a group of young boys and girls along to give them an insight into the opportunities that rugby league could offer.
“Lizzie is from Utah so it's great for them to see her get all this attention,” Tupou said. “She's the hardest worker I know, so she’s going to fantastic, which is great because all these kids are watching her.
“A lot of my youth is Polynesian, so she has all these little brown eyes looking up to her; who have not seen a Polynesian woman [from Utah] be able to compete in a professional manner in this sport before.
“It will bring more attention to rugby league in America and make it grow forever so that benefits everyone.”
Tupou said Will Hopoate was also a great role model for youth in Utah as he had taken time away from the game to go on a Mormon mission and returned to play for Tonga at the World Cups in 2017 and 2022.
Hopoate scores first for Tonga
“A lot of these kids had watched Will sacrifice,” she said. “He went on a mission, he wouldn't play on Sundays at the beginning and those kinds of things. He did it because he believed that that was for the good.
“Our kids are very faith-based kids, even if their faith is family, if it's God, if it's integrity, they're very faith-based, so they believe he followed his faith and it paid off.
“We love the Hopoate name and the whole family. They reached out and said, 'how can we help, how can we get involved, we would like to give more opportunities', so it’s been great.
“There’s basically a lot of kids in Utah for whom rugby league is a great opportunity.”
Tafuna, who is of Tongan heritage, began playing rugby union in Utah because there weren’t opportunities to play league.
However, the 21-year-old said that was now changing – particularly after Tonga’s performance in the 2017 World Cup and Samoa qualifying for the final in 2022.
“They played a little Tonga versus Samoa game in Utah and now they’ve made a full season,” Tafuna said.
““Rugby league has actually grown a lot and they are building a whole youth program, which is great.
“There’s a big Polynesian community here and my little cousins moved over from Australia so I'm happy that they're getting to have a crack at it because there wasn't really a chance for me. I think it's great that it's starting at a younger age.”
