The Canberra Raiders are excited to announce the signing of Fijian Rugby Sevens Olympic gold medallist, Masivesi Dakuwaqa. Dakuwaqa's contract will see him join the Raiders for the remainder of the year.
Dakuwaqa played rugby league in Fiji until 17 years of age, before successfully switching to rugby union and making his international debut for the Fijian Sevens side last year.
A string of strong performances in Sevens' tournaments secured Dakuwaqa his spot on the plane to Rio, where he played a key role in Fiji's landmark first Olympic gold medal.
Having only arrived in Canberra yesterday, Dakuwaqa said he was looking forward to starting training with the team.
"I'm very excited to arrive here and I can't wait to start training with the team. There's so many good players here and I'm going to be able to learn a lot off them."
Raiders Recruitment and High Performance Manager, Peter Mulholland, is excited at the talent and potential Dakuwaqa possesses.
"Masivesi played league until he was 17 like a lot of Fijian kids do. The game is not strange to him," Mulholland said.
"He's a gold medallist and plays on both sides of the park. He's a big unit and it makes obvious sense to have a look at him and see how he goes."
Standing at 190cm and weighing in at over 100 kilograms, 23-year-old Dakuwaqa is capable of playing multiple positions.
"His experience has been playing lock and second row as a kid, but he would also be lethal as an outside back. He could end up playing anywhere," Mulholland said.
Watch highlights from Dakuwaqa's time with the Fijian Sevens team in the video above.
