Viniana Riwai

Viniana Naisaluwaki Riwai (born 6 June 1991) is a Fijian footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Rewa FC and the Fiji women's national team, and a rugby sevens player, who plays for the Fiji women's national team.

Viniana Riwai
Personal information
Full name Viniana Naisaluwaki Riwai
Date of birth (1991-06-06) 6 June 1991
Place of birth Fiji
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rewa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Rewa
International career
2010– Fiji
Medal record
Representing  Fiji
Women's rugby sevens
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2020 TokyoTeam competition
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place2022 BirminghamTeam competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Riwai was educated at Labasa Sangam Primary School, Labasa Muslim College, and Suva Sangam College.[1] She later studied at the University of the South Pacific.[2]

Football career

Riwai took up soccer in high school and was selected for the Fiji women's football team for the 2011 Pacific Games.[2] She capped for Fiji at senior level during the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup.[1]

Rugby sevens career

Riwai made her senior international debut for the Fiji women's national rugby sevens team at the 2013 China Women's Sevens.[3] She was named in the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens squad for Fiji.[4] She was a member of the Fijian team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[5][6]

Riwai competed for Fiji in rugby sevens at the 2020 Summer Olympics and she won a bronze medal at the event.[7][8][9][10][11]

Riwai was part of the Fijiana sevens team that won the silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[12][13][14][15] She also featured at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[16]

References
  1. Sampras Anand (9 August 2021). "'Riwai Brings Joy'". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  2. "Viniana Takes Things As They Come". Fiji Sun. 11 June 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. Vula, Timoci (29 July 2016). "Riwai just loves to play". Fiji Times Online. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  4. "News: Fiji name final squad for Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow". ur7s.com. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  5. "RIWAI Viniana". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  6. Vula, Timoci (29 July 2016). "Fearless Riwai". Fiji Times Online. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  7. Prasad, Vashneel (2021-07-04). "Fijian Rugby Sevens teams named for Tokyo Olympic Games". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  8. "Olympic Champions Fiji have named their squads to compete in the Tokyo Olympics". RNZ. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  9. "Fantastic Fijiana win historic Olympic medal". RNZ. 2021-07-31. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  10. Deo, Rohit (2021-07-31). "2020 Tokyo Olympics: Fantastic Fijiana win historic Bronze medal". FijiTimes. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  11. "How the Fijiana battled adversity to win historic Olympic medal at Tokyo Games". www.world.rugby. 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  12. Tavi, Karalaini. "Fiji 7's squad named for Birmingham Games". fbcnews.com.fj. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  13. "Fiji Rugby names squads for Commonwealth Games Sevens". rnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  14. Prasad, Vashneel (2022-08-01). "Team Fiji Men's and Women's teams settle for silver medals at Commonwealth Games". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  15. "Australia takes Women's Sevens gold over Fiji". ESPN.com. 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  16. Prasad, Vashneel (2022-08-31). "Saiasi Fuli names squad for Rugby World Cup". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 2022-09-19.


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