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| Full name | Suaia Matagi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1988-03-23)23 March 1988 (age 37) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 17 st 0 lb (108 kg)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Prop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Suaia Matagi (born 23 March 1988), also known by thenickname of"Sui", is a professionalrugby league footballer who plays as aprop forward forDoncaster R.L.F.C. in theRFL Championship. He is both aNew Zealand andSamoan international.
He previously played for theNew Zealand Warriors, theSydney Roosters, thePenrith Panthers and theParramatta Eels in theNRL, and theHuddersfield Giants and theCastleford Tigers in theSuper League. He has also spent time on dual registration from Castleford atHalifax Panthers in theChampionship.
Matagi was born inAuckland, New Zealand, to Samoan parents, the second youngest of six brothers.[5] He attendedKelston Boys' High School[6] before dropping out at age 14, having become involved ingang violence, and heavy alcohol abuse.[5][7]
In 2006, at the age of 17, Matagi was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting two boys during a drunken rage that occurred when he was 15.[8] He served his sentence atMount Eden Prison, and laterManawatu Prison;[5] his participation in rehabilitation courses saw him grantedparole after one year.[9]
Following his release from prison, Matagi took up rugby league in 2008, having never previously played any organised sport. He played for theTe Atatu Roosters, and later theMount Albert Lions in theAuckland Rugby League competition. Matagi was selected to play for theAuckland representative team, and theNew Zealand Residents[7] for four consecutive years between 2009 and 2012.[8][10] He was named man of the match in Auckland's 44-34 victory over theSouth Island Scorpions in theNational Competition's 2011 Grand Final.[11]
Matagi made his debut for theAuckland Vulcans, theNew Zealand Warriors' feeder team, in theNew South Wales Cup on 3 April 2010. He played regularly for the Vulcans in 2012, and was named 2012 New Zealand domestic player of the year. Matagi trialed with the Warriors during the 2013 pre-season, impressing coachMatthew Elliott enough to earn an NRL contract.[12][13]
Matagi made his NRL debut for the Warriors on 11 May 2013 against theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs atWestpac Stadium.[7] On 11 June 2013, he re-signed with the Warriors until the end of 2014.[6] Matagi played 11 games for the Warriors in 2013, scoring a try in their match against thePenrith Panthers in round 23. On 22 September 2013, Matagi was named at prop in the 2013New South Wales Cup Team of the Year.[14]
Matagi was a member of the Warriors' squad that played in the2014 and2015 Auckland Nines pre-season tournaments. On 2 March 2014, Matagi re-signed with the Warriors until the end of 2016.[15] He played in all 24 of the Warriors' regular season games in 2014, but played in only 1 game during the first half of 2015 before being dropped to the Warriors' New South Wales Cup team.
In May 2015, Matagi requested, and was granted, a release from his contract with the Warriors in order to sign with theSydney Roosters effective immediately.[16]
Stuff.co.nz, andThe Sydney Morning Herald described Matagi as having built acult following during his time at the Warriors.[15][17]
Upon moving to the Roosters, Matagi played for their feeder club, theWyong Roos, in the New South Wales Cup. An injury toJared Waerea-Hargreaves saw Matagi play seven games for the Sydney Roosters in the back-end of 2015.[17]
On 4 November 2015, Matagi signed a one-year contract with thePenrith Panthers, with an option for a second year.[18] He was a late addition to the Panthers'2016 Auckland Nines squad following an injury toReagan Campbell-Gillard.[19] Matagi was a regular for the Panthers' in 2016, playing a total of 23 games.
In November 2016, Matagi signed a two-year contract with theParramatta Eels.[20][21] Matagi was part of the Parramatta side which finished fourth on the table and made the finals for the first time since 2009.[22] In 2018, Matagi started the first two games of the season from the interchange bench. Following Parramatta's humiliating 54-0 Round 2 up defeat by Manly, Matagi was left out of the Parramatta side by coach Brad Arthur but was recalled 5 weeks later in Round 7 where Parramatta defeated Manly 44-10. Matagi played a total of nine games for Parramatta in the2018 NRL season as the club endured a horrid campaign finishing last on the table.[23]
In June 2018, Matagi was selected to play for NSW residents against the QLD residents side.[24]
On 1 July 2018, Matagi signed a two-year deal to join English sideHuddersfield beginning in 2019. Matagi said of the move "I am extremely excited to take my football to the next level under the leadership of coachSimon Woolford and I'm also looking forward to the challenge of playing in the English Super League, joining a proud club like the Huddersfield Giants is a privilege and I will represent our fans to the best of my ability".[25]
On 25 November 2020, it was reported that Matagi had signed for theCastleford Tigers in theSuper League on a season-long loan from Huddersfield.[26] He sustained a calf injury during pre-season training which forced him to miss the start of the season.[27] He made his Castleford debut on 22 May against theWarrington Wolves.[28]
On 10 October 2021, it was announced that Matagi had signed a deal to remain atCastleford on a permanent basis, joining the Tigers on a two-year contract.[29]
Matagi scored his first try for the Tigers againstWakefield Trinity on 14 April 2022.[30] Later in the season, he also scored againstToulouse andHull FC.
After a strong start to the 2023 season, Matagi was unavailable during June and July as he returned toNew Zealand due to a bereavement.[31] He played a total of 15 matches for Castleford in the 2023 season as the club finished 11th on the table narrowly avoiding relegation.[32] On 19 September, Castleford confirmed that Matagi would depart the club upon the expiration of his contract.[33]
On 4 November 2023, it was announced that Matagi would joinDoncaster R.L.F.C. in theChampionship for 2024.[34]
Matagi made his international debut forSamoa at the2013 World Cup, playing in all four of their matches, scoring tries againstNew Zealand andPapua New Guinea. In May 2014, Matagi played for Samoa in the2014 Pacific Rugby League test againstFiji to qualify for the2014 Four Nations.
In October 2014, Matagi was named in both the New Zealand and Samoan Four Nations squads.[35] He opted to represent New Zealand,[36] playing in one of their four matches, against Samoa.
Matagi was named in New Zealand's train-on squad for the2016 Four Nations,[37] but was not included in the final team.[38]
On25 June 2021, he played for theCombined Nations All Stars in their 26-24 victory overEngland, staged at theHalliwell Jones Stadium,Warrington, as part of England’s2021 Rugby League World Cup preparation.
Matagi is aChristian.[8][9] He is a father of four children with his partner Fai.[5]