Viliame Mata: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| image_size =

| caption =

| amatyears1 =

| amatteam1 =

| clubs1 = [[Edinburgh Rugby]]

| repteam1 = [[Fiji national rugby union team|Fiji]]

| repyears1 = 2017–

| ru_sevensnationalyears1 = 2013–2016

| ru_sevensnationalteam1 = [[Fiji national rugby sevens team|Fiji 7]]'s

}}

 

 

==Career==

Mata was born and raised in Nauluvatau, a small village in Nakelo, [[Tailevu]]<ref name="fiji_BigB">{{Cite web | title = Big Bill Ready For Olympics | work = fijisun.com.fj | access-date = 11 September 2017 | url = http://fijisun.com.fj/2016/07/18/big-bill-ready-for-olympics }}</ref> and was selected by [[Ben Ryan (rugby union)|Ben Ryan]] to represent the Fiji sevens team to the [[2014 Wellington Sevens]] as a replacement for [[Pio Tuwai]].<ref name="fijiOneMata">{{Cite web | title = Mata jets out to Wellington at this hour | work = Fiji One | access-date = 11 September 2017 | url = http://fijione.tv/mata-jets-out-to-wellington-at-this-hour}}</ref>

 

 

 

In July 2016, Mata signed for [[Pro14|Pro12]] side, [[Edinburgh Rugby|Edinburgh]] for two-years and he joined the side after helping Fiji win Gold at the Olympics <ref name="bbc._Vili">{{Cite news | title = Viliame Mata: Edinburgh Rugby sign Fiji Olympic gold medallist | work = BBC Sport | access-date = 11 September 2017 | url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/37280010 }}</ref> but his visa-expired a year later as he was not capped internationally for Fiji and visas for player not capped by Kolpak countries were only for a year, he had to return to Fiji and get capped by the Fiji 15's team. He made his test debut against [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia]] on June 10 playing off the bench. He played 3 more tests for Fiji off the bench which allowed him to lodge a visa application to extend his visa to Scotland. He returned to Scotland in September 2017 and became a regular starter for the team.

 

In December 2017, he signed an extension to stay at Edinburgh Rugby until 2020.<ref name="bbc._Edin">{{Cite news | title = Edinburgh forwards Luke Crosbie & Viliame Mata commit to club | work = BBC Sport | access-date = 2017-12-31 | url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/42429299 }}</ref> At the end of the 2018/19 Pro14 season, Mata was named the Guinness PRO14 the Players’ Player of the Season.

 

==References==

{{Fiji rugby sevens squad 2016 Summer Olympics}}

{{Fiji Squad 2019 Rugby World Cup}}

 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mata, Viliame}}

[[Category:Fijian rugby union players]]

[[Category:Fiji international rugby sevens players]]

[[Category:1991 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Male rugby sevens players]]

[[Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]

[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Fiji]]

[[Category:Olympic medalists in rugby sevens]]

[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]

[[Category:Edinburgh Rugby players]]

[[Category:People educated at Suva Grammar School]]