mens
club rugby
Ex Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu will make his debut for Rugby Olympique de Grasse, but in an unusual role: at number 8 for the Fédérale 2 club.
Nayacaleva left Nissa Rugby after helping the club secure promotion to Pro D2, scoring three tries in 11 appearances for the South East French side. However, when his centre-back contract was not renewed, he was free to find a new club and RO Grasse stepped in, signing the Fijian legend for an undisclosed number of seasons.
Fédérale 2 is the fifth tier of French club rugby, below the Top 14, Pro D2, Nationale and Fédérale 1, and is predominantly an amateur competition, although some clubs field semi-professional players.
After missing the first game of Pool 3 Fédérale 2, the Fijian international will make his official debut for the club, but as a member of the forward line.
This will be the first time that Nayacalevu will play in that position, as he has mostly played in the middle or on the wing.
The Fijian started his professional career at Stade Français, where he stayed from 2013 to 2022 and won the EPCR Challenge Cup in 2017
He has changed Top 14 clubs in 2022, joining RC Toulon on a two-year contract a short time ago with Sale Sharks and Ospreys. As for his Test match career, he made his debut in 2012, scoring a try in Fiji’s 25-19 win over Japan. With more than 35 caps for Fiji, Nayacalevu has featured in three Men’s Rugby World Cups, adding four tries and 10 caps to his legacy.
The center last played for the Flying Fijians in 2024, when he Ireland hosted the Pacific island nation at the Aviva Stadium, with Fiji conceding a 52-17 defeat.
As for his new life at RO Grasse, the club had a positive start to their Fed 2 campaign, with a win against Avignon le Pontet Rugby in the first round of the competition.
