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Waratahs sign Fijian Commonwealth Games medallist before 2024 season
By Finn Morton
The NSW Waratahs have signed Fijian international and Commonwealth Games medallist Mesu Kunavula to a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Kunavula, who is primarily a backrower but can also play lock, started his professional rugby journey on the Sevens World Series on debut for Fiji in Dubai seven years ago.
The 28-year-old went on to claim a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, with Fiji losing to sevens rivals New Zealand 14-nil at Cbus Super Stadium.
Kunavula penned a deal with Edinburgh the following year which led to a Test rugby debut for Fiji against Georgia in 2020 at Murrayfield Stadium.
Following an impressive 23-game stint with the Scottish club, Kunavula made the move to French side Brive in the Top 14.
With experience around the world, as well as “an imposing physical presence,” Kunavula will look to make his mark next season after moving down south to Super Rugby Pacific.
“We are excited about the prospect of what Mesu can bring to our team,” coach Darren Coleman said in a statement. “He’s a player with a hugely exciting skillset that we feel will complement our other backrowers.
“While he has an imposing physical presence, he has a keen sense of his surroundings, an ability to offload the ball. The back 5 of our scrum, depth-wise, will be a strong point and Mesu will have to train hard and play well to get his share of playing time.”
Standing at 195cm tall and weighing 125kg, Kunavula could prove to be a superb signing for the Waratahs as they begin their new era with former skipper Michael Hooper.
Kunavula joins the Tahs along with formerly French-based lock Miles Amatosero and former Fijian rugby league international Vuate Karawalevu.
“I want to thank Darren and the coaching staff for giving me a chance and a new opportunity to play for the famous Waratahs,” Kunavula said.
“Being in Sydney also takes me closer to my family in Fiji and I’m excited to have landed in Sydney, ready to train hard and hopefully get the opportunity to play for the Waratahs in Super Rugby.”
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Latest Comments
No because if it was a 1:1 correspondence it would have been 10 top14, 3 URC and 3 Prem. I did arbitrarily put a max limit per league at 8 because for me if half of the teams are from the top14 it will make no sense. I genuinely didn't think the discussion will go that way tbh as for me it is a details.
Go to commentsFoster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
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