Sam Matavesi
Samuel Matavesi (born 13 January 1992) is a Fijian rugby union player who plays for the Northampton Saints in the RFU Premiership competition but also had a short stint with Top 14 side, Stade Toulousain.[1] His position of choice is hooker even though he has played at Blindside flanker and Number 8 for Plymouth.
| Birth name | Samuel Sireli Matavesi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 13 January 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Camborne, Cornwall, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 110 kg (17 st 5 lb; 240 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Josh Matavesi (brother) Joel Matavesi (brother) Sireli Matavesi (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
Sam is the younger brother of Josh Matavesi, His father, Sireli Matavesi came to England in the 1980s from Fiji and never left. He played for Cornwall, a team his 3 sons also played for. Sam also works for the Royal Navy, working out of the RNAS Culdrose as well as playing for their rugby union team.[2]
He made his debut for the Flying Fijians against Canada in the 2013 IRB Pacific Nations Cup off the bench at Number 8. In December 2019, Matavesi joined Northampton Saints, as a direct replacement for club hero Dylan Hartley.
References
- "Sam Matavesi: Toulouse sign Cornish Pirates hooker on loan until end of season". BBC. 11 April 2019.
- "Sam Matavesi: Cornish Pirates forward happy to balance Royal Navy career with rugby". BBC. 3 December 2017.