A WISH granted! Former USA 7s player and Olympian Matai Leuta finally played competitive rugby in Fiji at the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast Sevens tournament underway at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
Born in Marina, California, Leuta who shares paternal links to Salia, Nayau in Lau is part of Mike Friday’s Select 7s team at the tournament.
This marked the first time the 34-year-old is playing competitive rugby in his homeland having spent most of his life in America.
Leuta lived in Fiji from the age of six to 16 before he moved back to the US and while circumstances didn’t allow him to get back in the country at the time, he still shared a deep connection with Fiji.
That connection remained alive through sevens rugby which saw him soared into the HSBC World SVNS Series during the 2014/2015 season.
“I’ve spent most of my career playing for the USA and I had a lot of restrictions there. When the opportunity came through Mike Friday and his team, I jumped on it so I’m really excited.
“This is my first time playing in Fiji, it’s very special. My family will be coming down, they live in Nakasi right now but my village, I’m from Salia, Nayau in Lau. Unfortunately not everybody will be here but I’ll still have family here this weekend,” he shared.
The former Assemblies of God student from Kinoya has had a stellar career with the USA 7s team and that too under current mentor Mike Friday.
While he flew with the Eagles, the six foot three man carried with him the Fijian-esque combination of size, speed and footwork.
“I know what these players (players in the Fiji 7s squad) bring to the table which is kind of why I wanted to be part of it. I’ve been wanting to be a part of it for some time but it’s been tough because I’ve spent most of my career playing for the USA and I had a lot of restrictions there.
“But my roots, my love has always been here in Fiji and that’s the reason why I play rugby. This is a way for me to hopefully begin giving back to my culture,” he said in an interview with this newspaper.
Coach Friday said this was a chance for them to create more memories.
“There are many special things that you don’t get back and that is what rugby gives you. It gives you very special memories to treasure and you can’t take them, you can’t buy them, they are just opportunities that present themselves and you have to grasp them.
“That’s the same for so many of these so there’s lots of firsts and that means there’s a lot of unique memories and rugby is about making memories and friendships for life around the world. We are a big rugby community and we are better for that to happen in the world where 7s is heaven,” Friday added.
While Leuta has retired from sevens rugby, he couldn’t say no to the opportunity of playing in Fiji.
“This is just an exception because it’s Fiji so you cannot be Fijian and not play in this tournament so I’m blessed and fortunate that Mike (Mike Friday) reached out to me when they got asked for him to come coach and for me to come play in the team.
“I’ll be playing alongside a lot of legends, Jerry (Tuwai), Rosko (Specman) and a few Fijian boys that I have come across the circuit.”
Just like Jerry Tuwai, Leuta has made it his mission to help Fiji 7s hopefuls to force their way into the main team.
“Hopefully the success for myself and the veteran boys that have come in, we said that we want to make these boys realize their dreams, make it into Perth and go on to continue to represent the country in the white shirt. Success for us is helping them in any way possible to make that happen,” he added.
Leuta departed the USA 7s team in 2021 after he helped the side to its first gold medal in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at London 2015.
This followed with another first-ever gold on home soil at Las Vegas 2018 which was again followed by a consecutive gold at Las Vegas 2019 during the most successful season in history for the Eagles Sevens.
