Matagi achieves his rugby league dream

Suaia Matagi’s inspirational story has another chapter following his professional rugby league debut last fortnight.

As reported earlier on the Waikato Independent, at 25 years of age Matagi is a late bloomer to professional rugby league.

But since deciding to pursue a career in the sport five years ago, he has been on a determined and fast paced mission to the top.

The giant front rower played his first National Rugby League match in the one off ‘Capital Clash’ against the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs on May 11.

Over 30,000 fans flocked to Wellington’s Westpac Stadium that evening, the second biggest home crowd of the Warriors 2013 campaign.

”I was full of joy. It was the best feeling ever, a dream come true,” said Matagi.

“To make my debut in front of that crowd was the best experience, something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

The news that he would be in the team arrived about 24 hours before kickoff, as Matagi was about to head out for a training session Warriors head coach Matt Elliot pulled him aside and made the announcement.

“I found out on the Friday, as we were in the changing rooms.

“Then everyone started shaking my hands and saying congratulations.”

Matagi was reliable in his 19 minutes on the field, producing four runs for 32 metres and registering 11 tackles.

Elliot was impressed enough to include Matagi in the team for last Saturday’s trip to Penrith, however with players returning from injury he was squeezed out of the playing squad.

After progressing rapidly through the Auckland regional competition to the New South Wales Cup, Matagi took little time to get a shot in the premier competition, and admitted the step up to NRL football was a significant one.

“The NRL is a bit faster, you have to be accurate in everything you do. There is no place for hiding, getting that experience makes you more confident and makes you want to work even harder.”