Wikipedia

Melani Matavao

Melani Matavao (born 19 November 1995) is a Samoan professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for the Samoa national team.[1]

Melani Matavao
Date of birth (1995-11-19) 19 November 1995 (age 29)
Place of birthMotoʻotua, Samoa
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb)
SchoolSt. Joseph's College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018 Otago 7 (5)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015 Samoa U20 3 (0)
2017– Samoa 13 (40)
Correct as of 28 August 2023
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2019– Samoa 20
Correct as of 28 August 2023

Club career

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Matavao has come through Samoa's PPS Super 9 competition as a key player for the Aana Chiefs.[2] In 2018 he was given a place with Otago under World Rugby's Pacific Combine scheme,[3][4] playing 7 games in the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season.[5]

In 2019 he signed for the Asia Pacific Dragons,[6] but did not play any matches with the team.[7]

International career

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In 2015 Matavao was selected for the Samoan Under 20 side for the U20 World Championship in Italy.[8] In 2016 he was selected for Samoa A.[9]

He was selected for the Samoan national team in 2017,[10] making his debut in a test against Scotland in Edinburgh.[11] He played for Samoa in the 2018 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.[12] He was decisive in Samoa's qualification for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, scoring two tries in a qualifier against Germany.[13]

In February 2019 he was selected for the first time for the Samoa Sevens.[14][15] He was then named to Samoa's Rugby World Cup squad.[16] After the world cup, he played in the 2020 world sevens series.[17]

Matavao was selected for the Samoan squad to the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Melani Matavao". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ "One Local Player in Samoa's Rugby World Cup Squad". August 31, 2019.
  3. ^ "Pacific Combine creates new player pathway on islands". Rugby World. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ^ "'We just need to be more clinical'". Otago Daily Times. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Melani Matavao". New Zealand Rugby History. April 19, 2019.
  6. ^ "Hammington signs for Otago for two years". Otago Daily Times. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Asia Pacific Dragons' threat fails to materialise - at least for now". Otago Daily Times. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Matavao is the player to watch out for this weekend | Loop Samoa".
  9. ^ Sina Sevaaetasi (27 September 2016). "Samoa A squad named". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Sport: Seven new caps in Manu Samoa squad". RNZ. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Melani Matavao - Test matches". ESPN scrum.
  12. ^ "Premier 1's – New recruit Melani Matavao selected for national honours". Harbour Rugby. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Samoa step closer to Rugby World Cup qualification after routing Germany". Stuff. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Two debutants in Samoa 7s squad for Vegas, Vancouver". Fiji Times. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  15. ^ Thomas Airey (17 June 2019). "Vaili and Matavao star in their first Sevens Series campaigns". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Sport: Manu Samoa name two new caps in RWC squad". RNZ. August 31, 2019.
  17. ^ "Matavao to make his comeback for Samoa at the LA 7s". Loop Samoa. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  18. ^ Sanerivi, Sialai Sarafina (2022-09-07). "Manu Samoa 7's team named for R.W.C. this weekend". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
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