Radike Samo

Radike Samo

Date of birth	(1976-07-09) 9 July 1976
Place of birth	Nadi, Fiji
Height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight	255 lb (116 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock/Flanker Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006-2007 Stade Français (10) Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2000-2006 2010-present Brumbies Reds 41 17 (20) (5) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2004, 2011 Australia 8 (5)

Radike Samo (born 9 July 1976 in Nadi, Fiji) is an Australian rugby union player. His plays lock or flanker, and is 1.97 m tall and weighs 111 kg. Between 2000 and 2006 he played 41 games for the ACT Brumbies. He is known for his one-handed ball grip, and is acknowledged among Brumbies fans as a running forward with the ability to burst through tackles. He played with the Fiji Under-19's national team before winning 6 caps for the Wallabies in 2004. In the summer of 2006, he signed a two-year contract with French giants Stade Français Paris after rejecting an offer from Cardiff Blues. He scored a try on his debut with the Paris team after just 6 minutes (v ASM Clermont Auvergne, 30 August 2006, 45-15) and the winning try in the French Championship final against the same team in Stade de France on 9 June 2007, after scoring against Biarritz Olympique in the semi final, both times coming off the bench. In April 2010, he returned from Japan to play for the Southern Rebels in the Shute Shield competition, before joining the Queensland Reds on a short term contract as cover for James Horwill. He started off slowly but was dubbed "outstanding"Template:By Reds coach Ewen Mckenzie after several games and was one of Queensland's best. He continued with the Reds into 2011, playing in the team's Super Rugby final triumph on his 35th birthday. The following day it was announced he had been called up to the Wallabies 40-man squad for the Test versus Samoa, and TriNations series versus New Zealand and South Africa. He scored his first test try for the Wallabies during the final Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks in Brisbane on 27th August 2011. At 35 years old, Samo is the oldest player to don the Australian jersey in a tri-nations match.

Representative Record

• Senior club in Australia: Canberra
• Super 12/14 debut: 2000 v Reds, Canberra
• Test debut : 2004 v Scotland, Melbourne

Achievements

• Won 2004 Super 12 Championship with ACT Brumbies
• Test Rugby Debut:2004 v Scotland
• 2007 French Top 14 Champion with Stade Francaise Paris
• Won 2011 Super 15 Championship with Queensland Reds
• Recalled into 2011 Wallabies 40-man Tri-nations and Bledisloe cup squad after a 7 year absence
• Member of Wallabies 2011 Rugby world cup squad

References

• Source : ACT Brumbies website 16 August 2006

• Source : [1] 10 July 2011 Template:Wallabies 40-man squad