It’s not always easy to make a place in the first team when you come from the Espoirs. Even if you have the much sought-after JIFF status. Sometimes you have to choose to go down a division to get some playing time and come back stronger and better equipped for the very highest level.
The market is tight in the highest divisions and it’s not easy to find your place. Especially when you come out of the U20s without having had a lot of playing time in the first team before. But clubs are looking for these profiles and can serve as good springboards for the future of players.
Tarbes has made official the arrival of second row Joeli Matalaweru from Brive.
Joeli Matalaweru grew up in Fiji and New Zealand where he continued his education and played rugby. In 2021, he arrived in Brive with two other compatriots: Dan Fereti and Maximus Lestro. All three are getting used to their new environment and progressing within the Briviste training center and the Espoirs. Matalaweru will have first team experience during the 2022/2023 season with two Challenge Cup matches and in particular a tenure for Cardiff. This season, the 2nd row played with the Espoirs and trained with the first team on several occasions, particularly at the end of the season.
At the end of his Espoirs contract, Joeli Matalaweru must (logically) obtain JIFF status but is not retained by the CAB. He will continue his career with Tarbes in the National League.. The club hopes to have a better season than the one experienced in 2023/2024. Before his departure for the Pyrenees, teammates greeted Joeli and wished him good luck.
Find all the information in our CA Brive rugby transfer table for the 2024/2025 season
