Leone Nakarawa


Lieutenant Leone Nakarawa is a Fijian rugby union footballer and Olympic gold medalist. He plays as a Second-Row forward for Glasgow Warriors and represents the Fijian national team in international rugby. In 2016, he signed for Racing 92. In 2018 he was awarded the European Professional Rugby Player of the Year accolade.
Nakarawa is generally considered to be one of the best lock forwards in the world. He is most famous for his offloading skills, athleticism and general play in open field.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

While with the Warriors he occasionally turned out for the amateur club Glasgow Hawks.

Professional career

He signed for Glasgow Warriors in August 2013.
Nakarawa was named Man of the Match for Glasgow in the 2015 Pro12 Grand Final in Belfast. He had the most offloads in the 2014–15 European Rugby Champions Cup with 25.
Nakarawa moved to Racing 92 after the World Cup.
After his first season in France, Nakarawa was named in the Pro12 Dream Team at the end of the 2015/16 season.
In December 2019 Racing 92 announced his contract had been terminated for "a total lack of team spirit and marked insubordination" and "abandoning his post' after he failed to return from World Cup duty on time.
On 2 January 2020 Glasgow Warriors announced that they had signed Nakarawa on a contract to the end of the 2019-20 season.

International career

The talented Second-Row forward debuted for Fiji against Tonga at Nuku'alofa on 13 June 2009. He played in the Pacific Nations Cup for Fiji in 2010 and was one of Fiji's only bright sparks in their campaign at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
In 2011, New Zealand had to make an exemption to their ban on Fiji Military personnel entering the country in order for Nakarawa to play in the World Cup games. He later quit the army to focus fully on his rugby career.
Nakarawa played for Fiji Barbarians and resisted moves to France and England; not moving to Europe until signing his first professional contract with Glasgow Warriors.
After a hugely successful season, Nakarawa was selected to play for Fijian national team at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. He was subsequently named in the World Cup Dream Team at the end of the tournament.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Nakarawa was part of the Fiji team in rugby sevens, where he scored a try in the final in a one-sided 43-7 victory over Great Britain to claim the gold medal, which was also Fiji's first ever Olympic medal in any sport.

Honours and awards

After the 2016 Summer Olympics, Nakarawa was awarded the Officer of the Order of Fiji.

External Links