Temo Matiu has built his own experience

SThe name had been circulated for a first appearance in the list of the XV of France for the November tour but Temo Matiu (23 years old) was ultimately not selected. Considering the performances of the young third row of Union Bordeaux-Bègles, it is only a postponement. “I was already honored to be part of the discussions. I know I still have a lot to learn. I will continue to work to be there one day. »

For his first season in the Top 14, the ex-Biarrot in any case burst the screen during his first six matches. And his three tries, including a double in La Rochelle, showed the full breadth of his palette. “He has a very short life but we had identified incredible athletic potential,” explains Yannick Bru, the UBB manager. We thought he would be able to appear in the Top 14 over a period of 12 to 18 months. » But Temo Matiu showed that he was already ready. He will honor his third start against Pau this Saturday (2:30 p.m.) at Chaban-Delmas.

The competitive spirit runs in the family

Does Temo Matiu have any predispositions to evolve at the highest level? “He has family genetics which makes us think that if he continues like this, his future could be bright,” underlines Yannick Bru. Indeed, Temo is the son of Legi Matiu (55 years old), ex-French international (2 selections). Her sister, Samantha, is an international netball player (a sport derived from Basketball). “There has always been a competitive spirit in the family,” explains the young third row. My sister was French pole twirling champion at a very young age. My father was French champion with Biarritz (2002). They both upset me quite a bit, telling me that I didn't yet have a title to my name. I hope it will come. »

The vision of the game on the basketball floor

Although he started playing rugby at the age of 6, Temo Matiu followed his sister into basketball. From the age of 13, he devoted himself fully to the orange ball by joining the regional center of Mont-de-Marsan. He played under the colors of Adour Dax Basket in France, before wearing the colors of Stade Montois in Nationale 3 and Labenne at amateur level. “Basketball helped me have good hands. It also helped me a lot in reading the game. As a leader, you have to analyze a lot of things, find the spaces. » At the time, his role model was Kyrie Irving (NBA). “I loved the way he dribbled from one basket to another. I was short, I was 1.60 m tall and I found myself facing guys who were already 2.00 m tall. All this helps me in rugby today. »

The solo adventure, from the Landes to New Zealand

Driven by his childhood dream of becoming a professional basketball player, Temo Matiu left the family cocoon at the age of 13 to join the regional center of Mont-de-Marsan. “By joining the center so young, I learned a lot of things: to be diligent, to have a double project, to go to class while doing sport. » After high school, he also took a gap year in New Zealand. “I wanted to know more about my culture: to enjoy my grandparents, my cousins, my whole family. This culture has always imbued me. When I was little, we watched World Cup matches, we supported New Zealand. Every time I watched rugby, it made me want to play it. But at that time, I was focused on basketball. » To the point that the New Zealand basketball team took an interest in him. “They talked to my parents about it. I only learned about it when I returned to France. I was a little disgusted but honestly, I couldn't see myself staying there. »

The debut at Biarritz Olympique

Upon his return from New Zealand, Temo Matiu focused on studies and enrolled in a prep school in Bayonne. But Covid has banned the practice of indoor sports. So he joined some rugby friends among the Biarritz hopefuls. “Matthew Clarkin agreed for me to train twice a week with them. The following year, I joined the team. I started with the three-quarters but quickly moved to the forwards because of my passing. It hurt my ego a little. I worked on this a lot with my father. At the beginning, it wasn't easy on the technical side but I quickly adapted. » A year after his first match with the hopefuls, he played his first Pro D2 match with the BO in November 2022. And was no longer going to leave the pro group.

The rugby sevens experience

When he started training with the BO pros, Temo Matiu, the jack of all trades, played the Pau Supersevens with the Barbarians. Called by France 7 Développement, he then won a stage of the European Championship with the Blues. “The 7 brought me a lot technically. In one-on-one duels. But also in the speed of the ground game. A mistake can be fatal for the match. At 7, you learn a lot of the basics of rugby. It brought me a lot. And in terms of cardio, it's very hard. I have developed a lot at this level. »

Studies at the center of the game

In engineering school in Bidart until last year, Temo Matiu enrolled this year in a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bordeaux. “It helps me to think about other things and not only have my head in rugby. This double project is difficult, on the days off, you have to work on the lessons, it requires a lot of energy but I have always been used to that. It's always better to have a plan B.” “Temo is a very structured, very hard-wired person, you can see that during training,” says Yannick Bru. He wants to succeed, he understands everything very quickly. He is used to solving equations. He still has a lot to learn but that will come with time. »