Vakatawa pourrait rejouer international en 2025… pour les Fidji
Virimi Vakatawa, l’ancien trois-quarts centre international français, pourrait être en passe de faire un retour remarqué dans l’arène des tests dès 2025.
Le parcours de Vakatawa jusqu’à ce retour potentiel n’est rien moins qu’extraordinaire. En 2022, le monde du rugby tombait de sa chaise en apprenant, lors d’une conférence de presse dirigée par Fabien Galthié, que ce joueur exceptionnel était contraint de mettre un coup d’arrêt brutal à sa carrière de joueur en raison d’un problème cardiaque, et donc devait mettre un terme à sa carrière en France.
Son avenir dans le rugby était en suspens, l’incertitude entourant toute implication future dans le rugby pour l’ailier natif de Nouvelle-Zélande.
Un retour avec les Bristol Bears cette saison
Cependant, comme l’a initialement révélé RugbyPass, Bristol a signé un contrat avec l’ancien international français Virimi Vakatawa, qui a fait un bref retour dans le rugby international au début de l’été, avec le célèbre maillot des Barbarians lors d’un match unique à Brive contre les Samoa dans le cadre d’un échauffement pour la Coupe du Monde de Rugby.
Ce n’était pas le coup d’un soir puisque la suite s’est écrit cette semaine avec les Bristol Bears de Pat Lam, marquant son retour dans le circuit professionnel via la Gallagher Premiership, un peu plus d’un an après que tout semblait terminé.
Si bien qu’aujourd’hui, les règles relativement nouvelles de World Rugby ont ouvert une porte intéressante pour Vakatawa. En vertu de ces règles, un joueur peut en effet représenter le pays de ses ancêtres à condition qu’il n’ait pas joué pour la nation pour laquelle il s’est déclaré pour la première fois depuis trois ans.
Eligible pour les Fidji
Or, la dernière apparition de Vakatawa en équipe de France remontant à 2022 contre le Japon, il se trouve logiquement dans la fenêtre d’éligibilité pour jouer pour les Fidji en juin 2025.
Si Vakatawa décide de se déclarer pour les Fidji, et s’il est sélectionné, il s’agira d’un retour au pays aux conséquences énormes et d’une aubaine pour l’équipe nationale des Fidji.
Néanmoins, la question qui se pose est la suivante : Vakatawa, qui aura 33 ans en 2025, pourrait-il réintégrer la ligne arrière fidjienne composée de stars telles que Semi Radradra, Josua Tuisova et Waisea Nayacalevu ?
Concurrence avec les Fijian Drua
Nayacalevu aura 35 ans en 2025 tandis que Radradra en aura 33, soit le même âge que Vakatawa, si bien que l’âge ne joue pas vraiment en sa faveur, mais ne l’exclut pas non plus.
L’arrivée théorique de Vakatawa dans l’équipe ne tient pas non plus compte du fait que le rugby fidjien révèle de véritables talents grâce au Super Rugby Pacific où la franchise des Fijian Drua a déjà produit un certain nombre de recrues talentueuses et puissantes qui ne demanderont qu’à prendre la place des stars qui s’en vont, sans parler de la filière du rugby à sept qui continue de former des superstars avec un potentiel de transition à XV.
Comments on RugbyPass
I’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
1 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
2 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to commentsTruely great player. In social media and opinion pieces he was held up and flogged for the results. People wanted someone to crucify, and he was the captain. He was still an immense presence respected by his peers. His battles with Siya Kolisi belong up with with Collins vs Burger in my opinion. Unlucky to be carded in the final, but I don’t agree that his red card was the defining moment. Not when you look at the dominant performances of the Springboks (PSDT in particular.) I think Cane should be remembered for the spirit and physicality that is special to test rugby.
12 Go to commentsSam was the man until he got injured .
12 Go to comments_Crusaders versus Leinster _at the moment might be a rout! But I would like to see the Blues play Toulouse, the Hurricanes front up against Stade Francais, and the Chiefs go against Toulon.
157 Go to commentsLove it when we overlap! Promise it was not forethought.
18 Go to commentsjfc can this guy plz stay out of the news for one week
2 Go to commentsIf stormers aren’t available. Based on form and likely availability at the time of the wales Test, you’d think Masuku would be a no-brainer to start. But starting Jordan also makes sense having Masuku come off the bench to close out the game.
2 Go to commentsGlad Tom Curry not playing needs time to recover such a great player also his brother Ben how well is he playing now .
1 Go to commentsLet’s examine what might be irking the brainless E: Up until 20 years before this coming Julys tests: 16 games: 14 wins for SA; 1 win for Ire; 1 draw From 20 years until July’ tests Ireland V SA: 13 matches Ireland won 8; SA won 4; 1 draw Points scored Ireland 261; SA 189 Ave Winning Margin: Ireland 11 points; SA 4 points (away 3, home 6) Away win record: Ireland 33.33%; SA 25% Neutral matches 1: Ireland win RWC France 2023. Last SA win June 2016 (8 years ago) They boast 3 World cups in that period (they do boast). The above record is not good, probably not much better than theirs against NZ for same period. That’s why the dopey E is starting fights in his head. He will probably ship a yellow when things don’t go their way in the first test.
127 Go to commentsGoode is like a wet fart on The Rugby Pod and should be shoved aside. Jim knows what he is on about and can get on better without Goode’s nasty little cheap shots.
127 Go to commentsBrumbies will win, crusaders are pretty awful this year
1 Go to commentsThis has the makings of a good match. That’s Leinster’s second team but its a good one (stronger than the teams in SA recently). Ulster are really turning a page. Ryan back is huge, and Keenan too. This could be a cracker.
1 Go to commentsThe Farrells are one of the great father and son combinations. Andy was an RL great, and had he played Union as his first sport, I would be sure he would have been avery significant forcewas in League. And Owen, a Union great, who had he played League, would could have been a great there too i all probability. I feel my attitude to Owen has mellowed as he has aged, and in the post Jones era, evolved and shown his full range of talents. He really is an all round player, and I have wold hope his move to France will be successful. He may even be the piece in the jigsaw that Racing need to rise to challenge Toulouse and LAR. He is ofc now approaching 33 years of age but should still have enough left to make a big contribution in France for at least2/3 years.
45 Go to commentsI reckon it may be Jordan at 10 and Nohamba at 9, both players have played together alot and both have been on the Radar for a long time. After Pollard got injured in 2022 with Elton sidelined on a path of self destruction Erasmus and Nienaber indicated that the other options in the country at the time were thin but that Jordan and Manie were the 2 they were looking at. In the end Frans steyn played flyhalf, Willemse slotted in there on the end of year with Libbok as back up. Jordan was right there in the thinking back then so expect him to take the Jersey either as the starter.
2 Go to commentsHaha did he also* say it in a sarcastic teacher sort of manor or was it the petulant English snob sort of wail?
45 Go to commentsWell said Mils. It is a big boost at last having Fergus Burke back at 10 for the Crusaders. Had a great season last year as the article says. Mils is also right about captain Codie Taylor’s performance in his return to the Crusaders last week. He was all class.
4 Go to commentsLet’s make them both Capt. I think we'd get the best of both of them and it would help alleviate some of the pressures of the role. They'd have to confer over on field decisions which should lead to “ learnings “ for both. They are our two best consistent performers.
16 Go to comments