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
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(s)
Years Team Comps
2019– Samoa 20
Correct as of 28 August 2023

Club career

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

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
  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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