 Ravai representingGreater Sydney Rams in the2014 National Rugby Championship, October 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Peni Ravai Kovekalou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1990-06-16)16 June 1990 (age 34) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Verata, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 127 kg (280 lb; 20 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Ratu Kadavulevu School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Peni Ravai Kovekalou (born 16 June 1990) is a Fijianrugby union player, who currently plays athooker andprop for theFlying Fijians and theReds inSuper Rugby. He previously played forSouthland in theMitre 10 Cup in New Zealand,Aurillac in thePro D2, andBordeaux Bègles andClermont Auvergne in theTop 14. He has also played at centre and on the wings.
Ravai grew up playing rugby in the backline. He played wing and centre. When he made it to provincial level, he started playing in the forwards as there was no place in the backline. He became Nadroga's starting prop and at times played on the flanks as well as in the backline. He has also played 7's rugby for Davetalevu. He joined theFiji Barbarians team at the Uprising 7's tournament and helped them win the title.[1]
In February 2013, he was selected into theFiji 7's team to replace the injuredJosua Tuisova.[2] He made his international 7's debut at the2013 USA Sevens. He is also Fiji's first international prop to play international 7's rugby for Fiji.
He was then recruited byInoke Male, theFiji 15's coach to join the team on their2013 end-of-year rugby union internationals. He made hisdebut off the bench at hooker againstRomania.
In August 2014, he was signed byGreater Sydney Rams to join the newly created,National Rugby Championship in Australia.[3] He made his debut at hooker for the RAMS in October.[4]
In May 2015, he was named in theFiji Warriors team to tourUruguay in the2015 mid-year rugby union internationals.[5] He started at Loosehead prop in thefirst match againstUruguay and kept his place in the starting XV a few days later when the Warriors facedArgentina Jaguars. The Warriors won all their games on tour. He was included in the Fiji side for the2015 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup. He came off the bench against theMāori All Blacks in theirone-off test. He then came off the bench againstTonga scoring a try in the73rd minute to seal Fiji a win. Hestarted at Loose-head prop againstSamoa a week later. In May 2016, he captained theFiji Warriors side to a 2 match win against theUruguay national team during the2016 mid-year rugby union internationals. The same month he was signed by theWoodlands Rugby Club and would be in the hunt to make theSouthland Stags side for the2016 Mitre 10 Cup.[6]
In July 2016, he was included in theSouthland Stags side for the2016 Mitre 10 Cup.[7] He made his debut againstOtago in the first round.
In November 2016, he joined Fiji for the2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals. He came off the bench againstEngland national rugby union team in the 5th minute afterCampese Ma’afu was taken off and gained metres with ball in hand. He then started at loosehead againstJapan and played just as well[8]
He signed forAurillac for the2016–17 Rugby Pro D2 season playing 12 games and scoring 3 tries and his performance saw him getting signed byBordeaux-Bègles in theTop 14[9]
He was named in the Fiji team for the2017 mid-year rugby union internationals as well as the2017 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.
On 23 May 2020, Ravai signs forTop 14 rivalsClermont Auvergne ahead of the 2020-21 season.[10]
