Sakiusa Matadigo
Encyclopedia
Sakiusa Masinivanua Matadigo (born 8 August 1982 in Suva
, Fiji
) is a rugby union
footballer who plays third row
for Montpellier Hérault RC
. He has been capped for the full Fiji
national side, as well as representing Fiji at Sevens
. Before moving to the Guinness Premiership
in 2007, he had played representative rugby for Fiji Barbarians
in the Pacific Rugby Cup
and for Suva Highlanders
in the Colonial Cup
. His senior rugby career began playing for Suva suburb Nabua
, as well as the full Suva F.C.
side.
, Fiji
on 8 August 1982 and educated at Suva Grammar School
where, in 2001, his final year, he played at Number 8 in the side that won the school the Fiji secondary schools competition, the Deans Trophy
for the first time in 62 years.
district of Suva
while also playing for the colts division of the main Suva team. He made his senior debut for the Suva team in 2004.
2005 saw senior representative honours fo Matadigo, first for Suva Highlanders
in the Colonial Cup
, which was to be a springboard to appearances in the famous Fiji Sevens
side in the IRB Sevens World Series
. During the year He played in the Dubai
and George
rounds of the 2005–06 World Sevens Series.
2006 saw his elevation to full 15-a-side Fiji
national team, making his debut against Tonga
on 10 June 2006.
The same year saw further involvement for Matadigo in the national Sevens sides campaign in the 2005–06 Sevens World Series, appearing at the Wellington
, USA
, Hong Kong
and Singapore rounds of the tournament.
side Stade Nantes Rugby.
and Fiji
captain Simon Raiwalui
, coach Alan Gaffney
signed Matadigo, in time for the 2007–08 Guinness Premiership season. He was joined in the Saracens squad by current Fiji captain Mosese Rauluni and another full Fiji international Kameli Ratuvou
upon these existing Saracens players' return from the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
Matadigo made his debut first team appearance for Saracens
against Worcester Warriors on 6 October 2007. His second appearance, against Sale Sharks
two weeks later saw Matadigo score his maiden try for his new club.
in France's Top 14 Competition.
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
) is a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer who plays third row
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
for Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
. He has been capped for the full Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
national side, as well as representing Fiji at Sevens
Fiji national rugby union team (sevens)
The Fiji Sevens side is one of the most popular and successful Sevens teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976. Fiji has also won the Sevens World Cup twice, winning that event in 1997 and 2005...
. Before moving to the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
in 2007, he had played representative rugby for Fiji Barbarians
Fiji Barbarians
The Fiji Barbarians are a Fijian rugby union team.They are one of the two Fijian teams that take part in the Pacific Rugby Cup competition, the other being the Fiji Warriors...
in the Pacific Rugby Cup
Pacific Rugby Cup
The IRB Pacific Rugby Cup is an annual rugby union development competition. First held in 2006, it features representative teams from the three Pacific rugby union unions - Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.The participating teams are:*Samoa A from Samoa...
and for Suva Highlanders
Suva Highlanders
Suva Highlanders are a Fijian rugby union team. They compete in Fiji's premier rugby union competition, the Colonial Cup. The franchise area covers Suva, Naitasiri and Kadavu.-History:...
in the Colonial Cup
Colonial Cup
The Colonial Cup was the second highest level of competition within Fijian rugby union and was intended to be a stepping stone for local players into international rugby union...
. His senior rugby career began playing for Suva suburb Nabua
Nabua
Nabua is a suburb of the Fijian capital of Suva. The Queen Elizabeth Barracks, a major military base which saw a mutiny on 2 November 2000, is located there....
, as well as the full Suva F.C.
Suva F.C.
Suva F.C. is a Fijian football team playing in the premier division of the Fiji Football Association competitions. It is based in Suva. Their home stadium is National Stadium. Their uniform is white shirt, black shorts and black and white socks....
side.
Early life
Matadigo was born in SuvaSuva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
on 8 August 1982 and educated at Suva Grammar School
Suva Grammar School
Suva Grammar School, is a secondary school in Suva, Fiji.The school caters for forms 3 to 7 and has a school population of about 1000 students...
where, in 2001, his final year, he played at Number 8 in the side that won the school the Fiji secondary schools competition, the Deans Trophy
Deans Trophy
The Deans Trophy is the top prize of the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby. The competition introduced in 1939 is the oldest competitive tournament in Fiji rugby. It was first won by Queen Victoria School ....
for the first time in 62 years.
Nabua/Suva 2002–07
Matadigo began his senior rugby career playing for the NabuaNabua
Nabua is a suburb of the Fijian capital of Suva. The Queen Elizabeth Barracks, a major military base which saw a mutiny on 2 November 2000, is located there....
district of Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
while also playing for the colts division of the main Suva team. He made his senior debut for the Suva team in 2004.
2005 saw senior representative honours fo Matadigo, first for Suva Highlanders
Suva Highlanders
Suva Highlanders are a Fijian rugby union team. They compete in Fiji's premier rugby union competition, the Colonial Cup. The franchise area covers Suva, Naitasiri and Kadavu.-History:...
in the Colonial Cup
Colonial Cup
The Colonial Cup was the second highest level of competition within Fijian rugby union and was intended to be a stepping stone for local players into international rugby union...
, which was to be a springboard to appearances in the famous Fiji Sevens
Fiji national rugby union team (sevens)
The Fiji Sevens side is one of the most popular and successful Sevens teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976. Fiji has also won the Sevens World Cup twice, winning that event in 1997 and 2005...
side in the IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the...
. During the year He played in the Dubai
Dubai Sevens
The Dubai Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Dubai, UAE. Through the 2007 edition, it was held at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground, but in 2008 it moved to The Sevens, a new stadium built to host the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The 2009 competition took place between 3-5...
and George
South Africa Sevens
South Africa Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in South Africa each year. It is part of the IRB Sevens World Series.As of the 2010–11 series, 12 tournaments have been held in South Africa—one in Stellenbosch, two in Durban, and nine at the most recent location, George...
rounds of the 2005–06 World Sevens Series.
2006 saw his elevation to full 15-a-side Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
national team, making his debut against Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
on 10 June 2006.
The same year saw further involvement for Matadigo in the national Sevens sides campaign in the 2005–06 Sevens World Series, appearing at the Wellington
Wellington Sevens
The Wellington Sevens or the New Zealand International Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in Wellington, New Zealand. The tournament, the third on the IRB Sevens World Series circuit, is played at Wellington's Westpac Stadium in early February and includes teams from 16 countries...
, USA
USA Sevens
The USA Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in the United States. A part of the IRB Sevens World Series, it currently takes place on Saturday and Sunday during the second weekend of February...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
and Singapore rounds of the tournament.
Stade Nantes 2006–07
In the 2006–07 Matadigo travelled to experience European rugby, initially with Fédérale 3Fédérale 3
Fédérale 3 is the fifth division of rugby union in France. The competition involves 226 clubs in 21 pools of 8, and winners can progress up into higher division of competition. The competition above Fédérale 3 is Fédérale 2 and above that, Fédérale 1...
side Stade Nantes Rugby.
Saracens 2007–08
Following a personal recommendation from former SaracensSaracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
and Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
captain Simon Raiwalui
Simon Raiwalui
Simon Raiwalui is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for French club Racing Métro 92. He has also represented Fiji on a number of occasions. He has also been included in the Pacific Islanders touring team for Europe in November 2006...
, coach Alan Gaffney
Alan Gaffney
Alan Gaffney is an Australian-born rugby coach, currently an assistant with the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby tournament.He is a former player who played over 200 games with the Randwick Rugby Club Sydney, of which he was elected a life member in 1993....
signed Matadigo, in time for the 2007–08 Guinness Premiership season. He was joined in the Saracens squad by current Fiji captain Mosese Rauluni and another full Fiji international Kameli Ratuvou
Kameli Ratuvou
-Career:He is currently playing for professional English club, Saracens he joined the squad from Fiji for the 2006/07 season. His usual position is on the wing even though he can also play at centre and fullback...
upon these existing Saracens players' return from the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
.
Matadigo made his debut first team appearance for Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
against Worcester Warriors on 6 October 2007. His second appearance, against Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
two weeks later saw Matadigo score his maiden try for his new club.
Montpellier 2009-present
In 2009, Matadigo joined Montpellier Hérault RCMontpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
in France's Top 14 Competition.