Leo Halavatau

{{short description|Tongan rugby player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Leo Halavatau

| image =

| caption = Leo carrying hard against Bath

| birth_name = Leo Halavatau

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|11|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tonga

| height = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|123|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}

| ru_currentposition =

| ru_currentteam =

| position = Prop

| amatyears1 =

| amatteam1 =

| years1 =

| years2 = 2011–2016

| years3 = 2016-

| clubs1 = Birmingham & Solihull

| clubs2 = London Irish

| clubs3 = Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente

| apps1 =

| apps2 = 62

| apps3 =

| points1 =

| points2 = 10

| points3 =

| ru_clubupdate = 28 February 2014

| superyears1 =

| super1 =

| superapps1 =

| superpoints1 =

| provinceyears1 =

| province1 =

| provinceapps1 =

| provincepoints1 =

| repyears1 = 2017

| repteam1 = Tonga

| repcaps1 = 1

| reppoints1 = 0

| ru_ntupdate = 25 November 2017

| repsevensyears1 =

| repsevenscomp1 =

}}

Leo Halavatau (born 21 November 1983) is a Tongan rugby union player.

Leo joined the Sunbry-based Aviva Premiership outfit from the former Championship side Birmingham & Solihull for the start of the 2011/12 season. He made his debut for the club, coming off the bench to replace Faan Rautenbach in the London Double Header fixture against Harlequins at the start of that season, before earning his first start the following week against Sale Sharks. Leo went on to make 11 appearances for the club in his first season, and November 2012 signed a 3-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2015/16 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/20172049|title=BBC Sport - London Irish: Leo Halavatau signs new Exiles deal|date=1 November 2012|work=BBC Online|accessdate=3 March 2014}}

With injuries to fellow tightheads during the 2013/14 season Halavatau has featured in all but one of the exiles matchday squads, earning plaudits for both his workrate around the park and his scrummaging.

Leo has had experiences with playing back row. He made his 100th appearance for London Irish in December 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.london-irish.com/news/halavatau-up-for-ton-as-rouse-returns/bp624/?PageSpeed=noscript |title=Halavatau up for ton as Rouse returns |publisher= |date=17 December 2015 |access-date=8 November 2022}} He was released by London Irish in 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.planetrugby.com/trio-released-by-london-irish |title=Trio released by London Irish |publisher=Planet Rugby |date=4 July 2016 |access-date=8 November 2022}}

In 2021 he moved to Chatres Rugby.{{cite web |url=https://www.charentelibre.fr/sport/rugby/saxv/sa-xv-gourdon-recrute-halavatau-a-chartres-5985369.php |title=SA XV: Gourdon recrute Halavatau à Chartres |publisher=Charente Libre |language=fr |date=1 July 2021 |access-date=8 November 2022}} In March 2022 he signed a one-year contract extension.{{cite web |url=https://www.lechorepublicain.fr/chartres-28000/sports/leo-halavatau-l-un-des-papas-du-c-chartres-rugby_14105842/ |title=Léo Halavatau, l'un des "papas" du C'Chartres Rugby |publisher=L'Echo Republican |language=fr |date=27 March 2022 |access-date=8 November 2022}}