Semisi Naevo

Semisi Naevo

Naevo at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
Birth name	Ratu Meli Semisi Saukawa Naevo
Date of birth	(1975-05-03) 3 May 1975
Place of birth	Nadi, Fiji
Height	1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	115 kg (18 st 2 lb; 254 lb)
School	Nawaka District School, Ratu Navula Secondary School, Nadi College.
Notable relative(s)	Mother: Merewalesi Father: Ratu Joeli Lesavua Naevo Apenisa Naevo Manoa Naevo
Occupation(s)	Business Man
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1998–2003 Counties () 2003 Nawaka () 2003–2007 Green Rockets () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006–2010 Fiji 14 (0) 2008 Pacific Islanders 2 (0) National sevens team Years Team Comps 2001 – Fiji 19
Medal record Men's rugby sevens Representing Fiji Commonwealth Games Silver Medal 2002 2006 Melbourne Team competition

Ratu Meli Semisi Naevo Saukawa (born 3 May 1975 in Nawaka, Nadi) is a Fijian rugby union player. He plays as a flanker. His nickname is Man Mountain. His father, Joeli Lesavua, and two brothers, Apenisa and Manoa Naevo, are also Fiji reps.

Career

He plays sevens for Fiji. He is a strong tackler with good line-out skills, he also has the speed for sevens. His ball-hunting skills earned him his first cap in the 2006 Pacific 5 Nations tournament where he stalked the Samoans from the side of the scrum to help Fiji win 23–20. He has made an excellent name for himself in the Fiji sevens team with outstanding performances in his first outing in Argentina and Wellington, 2002. He is a member of the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens team, his speed and aerial skills made him a menace. He was bestowed with the captaincy role for the last two tournaments of the 2005–06 IRB 7s Series, and it was fitting that he lifted the London Sevens trophy and also the IRB sevens trophy.

In 2008 he was selected for the Pacific islanders.

In 2009 he was named co-captain for the team for the 2009 Dubai sevens.

Commonwealth Games

He was also part of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester where Fiji won the silver medal when they were defeated by New Zealand in the final after Fiji were reduced to 5 men for most of the game.

Semisi was also part of the 2006 Commonwealth Games where they won a bronze medal.

2007 RWC

Naevo was also part of the Fiji 15's team that reached the Quarter-finals of the Rugby Union World Cup in 2007.

External links

• Fiji profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 2012-03-07)
• Semisi Naevo at ESPNscrum