Iosefo Masikau Baleiwairiki also known as either Iosefo Masikau or Iosefo Masi (born 9 May 1998) is a Fijian professional rugby union footballer who plays for the Fijian Drua in the Super Rugby. Known for repeatedly slicing his way through the opposition defensive line has earned him the nickname, the "Slice Man".
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| Full name | Iosefo Masikau Baleiwairiki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 9 May 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 88 kg (194 lb; 13 st 12 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Filipe Sauturaga (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre, Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He is a former rugby sevens player, winning a gold medal for Fiji at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[1] He won a gold medal at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[2][3][4][5]
Career
editRugby Sevens
editMasi was selected to the national team after his impressive performances at the 2020 Fiji Bitter Marist 7s tournament where he also scored a hat-trick in one of the matches.[6]
Masi made his debut appearance at the Olympic Games in 2020 representing Fiji in the men's rugby sevens tournament.[7][8] He was part of the Fijian side that won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[9][10][11]
Rugby League
editOn 20 September 2021, Masi signed with the Townsville-based North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL) on a train and replacement contract. He trained with the Cowboys' NRL squad and played with the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup in 2022.[12]
Rugby Union
editIn 2022, Masi returned to rugby union, joining the Fijian Drua.[13]
References
edit- ^ "Rugby Sevens Iosefo Masi - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Baleilevuka, Rusiate (1 September 2022). "Fiji Men's 7s World Cup squad named". www.fijivillage.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Prasad, Vashneel (22 August 2022). "Gollings names Fiji Airways Fijian 7s extended squad for LA 7s and the World Cup". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ "Fiji wins men's title at South Africa 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens while Australia claim women's crown". olympics.com. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Coetzee, Dylan (12 September 2022). "Rugby World Cup Sevens: Fiji and Australia claim gold in Cape Town". PlanetRugby. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ "Looking Forward To Tokyo: Masikau". Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Men's sevens squads". World Rugby. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Wainiqolo, Masi make Olympics team". Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Prasad, Vashneel (4 July 2021). "Fijian Rugby Sevens teams named for Tokyo Olympic Games". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Fiji - Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Paris 2024". www.world.rugby. 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Fiji claims Olympic silver medal after losing to France in rugby sevens final". ABC Pacific. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Fijian Rugby Sevens duo to join Cowboys for 2022 season". NQ Cowboys. 20 September 2021.
- ^ "2023 SQUAD | Fijian Drua".
External links
edit- Iosefo Masi at the World Rugby Men's Sevens Series
- Iosefo Masi at ItsRugby.co.uk
- Iosefo Masi at Olympics.com
- Iosefo Masi at Olympedia
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