Apisai Naikatini
Apisai Namata Naikatini (born April 4, 1985) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays lock and blindside flank for Fiji and Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Apisai Namata Naikatini | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 4, 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nadi, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (18 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life
Naikatini attended the prestigious Marist Brothers High School and Natabua High School in Fiji, and Wanganui City College while playing in New Zealand.
Club career
In 2007, he joined NZ provincial side Wellington for the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup. He made his provincial debut on 31 August against Counties Manukau at Blindside Flank. He helped his team reach the final. The following year, he was also instrumental in taking the team to the final but losing this time to Canterbury and then again in 2009. He made his Super Rugby debut coming on the bench in 2009 against the Cheetahs. He also played for the Hurricanes Development side in the Pacific Rugby Cup in 2011. He was also part of the Ranfurly Shield winning team. He joined Japanese side Toyota Verblitz at the end of 2012.
He helped his Wellington side to the 2013 ITM Cup final but lost to Canterbury.
France
In December 2013, he signed a short-term deal with French Top 14 side, Brive for the remainder of the 2013–14 Top 14 season, filling in for lock, Olivier Caisso who is fighting Hodgkin's lymphoma.[1]
After his short stint, he joined another top 14 team, Agen the following season. He spent the 2016–17 season with Rugby Club Aubenas Vals in Fédérale 1. After this he returned to New Zealand to play club rugby with Johnsonville RFC.[2]
United States
On 17 January 2019, he joined recently established American Major League Rugby outfit the Seattle Seawolves.[2] He then moved across the country to Old Glory DC for the 2020 season.
International career
Naikatini played 18 matches for Fiji between 2012 and 2014. He made his international debut for Fiji against Japan in the 2012 IRB Pacific Nations Cup at lock. He scored his first try a year later against Japan in the 2013 IRB Pacific Nations Cup.
He was initially named in Fiji's extended squad for the 2015 World Cup but was then assigned to non-traveling reserve status.[2]
Honours
Fiji
References
- "Fiji rugby forward Naikatini joins Brive - Yahoo!7 Sport". Archived from the original on 2013-12-22. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
- "Seawolves sign Fiji lock Api Naikatini". Americas News Rugby. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.