Samisoni Viriviri

For his grandfather, see Samisoni Viriviri (rugby union coach).

Samisoni Viriviri
Birth nameSamisoni Viriviri Nasagavesi
Date of birth (1988-04-25) 25 April 1988 (age 36)
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight88 kg (13 st 12 lb; 194 lb)
SchoolRatu Navula College
Notable relative(s)Samisoni Viriviri Sr. (grandfather)[1] Timoci Nagusa (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing/Fullback
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2014
2014–2015
2015–2016
2019
2019−2020		 Nadroga
Montpellier
Montauban
South China Tigers
Fijian Drua		 10
6
10
4
3		 20
0
20
5
5
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014- Fiji 2 (0)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2012– Fiji 22(485)97t
Medal record
Men's rugby sevens
Representing  Fiji
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team competition

Samisoni Viriviri Nasagavesi MOF (born 25 April 1988) is a Fiji rugby union player. He played for the Fiji sevens team, and in 2014 won the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award after leading the 2013-14 World Rugby Sevens Series in tries scored.

He has signed with the French Top 14 club Montpellier.[2]

Early career

Viriviri started his career playing in the local 7's competition. He chased a dream borne out of the stories of his grandfather and namesake who was part of the legendary 1977 Fiji XV that beat the British and Irish Lions in Suva. At 19, he broke into the club level for Dratabu in the Nadi Rugby Union club games and later played for Lomaiviti and Suva in 2010 before joining Nadroga. He played for the Police 7's side and he caught the eye of Fiji sevens assistant coach, Etuate Waqa and was selected as the backup winger to Waisea Nayacalevu in the Fiji 7's side.

2012–present

He made his debut at the 2012 Gold Coast Sevens but did not make the cut for the Dubai and South Africa legs. He made a comeback in the 2013 Wellington Sevens and followed it up with an impressive effort in the 2013 USA Sevens. His top performance and 8 tries at Hong Kong gave him the Best and Fairest Player Award.[3] He ended the 2012–13 IRB Sevens World Series with 29 tries.

In January 2014, he signed with Top 14 club, Montpellier.[4]

He started the 2013–14 IRB Sevens World Series like he ended the last, he notched up 7 tries in the 2013 Dubai Sevens and he carried his performance to the 2013 South Africa Sevens scoring 6 tries.[5] He became the top try scorer in Japan scoring 9 tries.[6] He leads the season with 48 tries, 17 clear of nearest rival, NZ's, Tim Mikkelson.[7]

He was shortlisted as the 2014 IRB Sevens Player of the Year.[8] He finished the season as the Top try-scorer with 52 tries. At the end of the 2014 London Sevens, Viriviri was awarded the 2014 IRB Sevens Player of the Year, the first time a Fijian (playing for Fiji) has ever won that award.[9]

He was also named in the IRB 7s dream team of the season alongside NZ's DJ Forbes, Scott Curry, Australia's Cameron Clarke, Canadian duo John Moonlight and Phil Mack as well as South Africa's Justin Geduld.[10]

He made his debut for Montpellier in the 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage on the left wing, he scored a try but was denied by the referee due to an incident earlier.[11] But he did not score any try in six appearances in Top 14 and European Champions Cup.[citation needed]

In 2015, he was sold off to ProD2 club, Montauban. He joined the Fiji 7's side in March 2016 and helped them win the 2015–16 World Rugby Sevens Series. He made the final 28-man squad for the Fiji 15's team for the 2016 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Viriviri dedicates win to his angel
  2. ^ "Planet Rugby – IRB Sevens – Montpellier sign Fijian Sevens star". Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Viriviri fast – Fiji Times Online". Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Fiji's Viriviri signs with Montpellier – SuperSport – Rugby". Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Official HSBC Sevens World Series". Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Official HSBC Sevens World Series". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Official HSBC Sevens World Series". Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Sport: Samisoni Viriviri shortlisted for sevens player of year – Radio New Zealand News". 8 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Viriviri wins IRB 7s Player of the Year". Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Viriviri creates history in last hurrah". Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Planet Rugby – Toulouse off to winning start". Retrieved 20 October 2014.