Before discovering rugby, Eseta Moala often felt uncomfortable in fitted outfits for ballet and karate as one of the larger children in her peer group. That sense of feeling out of place shifted when she found a sport where girls and boys her size or bigger played together, allowing her to fit in and use her body to her advantage.
The sisters were part of a U.S. team that finished sixth in Dakar, overcoming early losses to Madagascar and the Czech Republic by winning two of their three games on the final day of competition, with both Eseta and Luisa scoring tries.
Finding Body Confidence Through Rugby Stars
Eseta’s journey has been encouraged by another U.S. rugby player, Ilona Maher, who helped the U.S. win bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Maher is the world’s most followed rugby player on social media with nearly nine million followers, using her platform to champion body positivity and women’s sports.
Maher’s success on the field and her embrace of her muscular build helped Eseta appreciate her own body. Eseta noted that seeing other girls her size or bigger do the same thing made her feel like she could do it too.
Carrying Family Heritage on an International Stage
Representing the United States in Senegal also meant carrying their family and Tongan heritage onto an international stage. Luisa served as co-captain of the women’s rugby sevens team and carried the American flag at the opening ceremony.
For Luisa, carrying the flag provided a chance to meet athletes from other countries and laugh as they communicated across language barriers, though it also marked the longest the sisters had ever been apart. Beyond the Moala sisters, the event highlighted a broader movement as World Rugby pushes to improve the sport’s visibility in the U.S. ahead of hosting the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women’s tournament in 2033.
Challenges Facing Young U.S. Rugby Players
Challenges remain for young players, particularly the limited time the U.S. national youth camp and one or two competitions a year, Gardner says.
For Eseta, rugby has already changed the way she thinks and helped her feel of someone who relishes that strength in her peer group.
In Dakar, the Youth Olympic players received personalized video messages from players from the senior U.S. rugby teams.
Maher recorded one of those individual videos.
It was for Eseta.
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