George Leaupepe scored a hat trick of tries in his first game of international rugby in his first year out of school for Western Samoa against the Victorian state side. He played 36 games for Western Samoa, including 13 tests, with six test tries.

Leaupepe first played Super12 in 1996, appearing three times for the Highlanders and scoring a try on debut against the Blues. Not selected for Super12 in 1997, Leaupepe was drafted to the Hurricanes in 1998, where he played centre in place of an injured Alama Ieremia in six of eleven games. He also played for the Chiefs in 2000 and for the Highlanders in 2001.

Leaupepe’s home province was Counties Manukau, for whom he helped to consecutive NPC first division finals in 1996 and 1997. He continued with Counties, for another three years, bringing up his 50^th game for the union in 1999.