Radike Samo
Encyclopedia
Radike Samo is an Australia
n rugby union
player. He plays lock, flanker
, number 8 and can even play on the wing. He is 1.97 m tall and weighs 117 kg.
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 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" by Reds coach Ewen Mckenzie http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-union/reds/reds-muscle-up-for-stormers-20110407-1d5xh.html 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 27 August 2011. This try was later selected as IRPA's Try of the Year 2011.
At 35 years old, Samo is the oldest player to play for Australia in a Tri-Nations match. He was, unusually, selected to play on the wing for the 2011 Rugby World Cup match with Russia http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2011/news/article.cfm?c_id=522&objectid=10755256http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/14829971.stm
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He plays lock, flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
, number 8 and can even play on the wing. He is 1.97 m tall and weighs 117 kg.
Rugby career
Between 2000 and 2006 he played 35 games for the ACT Brumbies.He played with the Fiji Under-19's national team before winning 6 caps for the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in 2004.
In the summer of 2006, he signed a two-year contract with French giants Stade Français after rejecting an offer from Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
. He scored a try on his debut with the Paris team after just 6 minutes (v ASM Clermont Auvergne
ASM Clermont Auvergne
Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne are a French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand in Auvergne that currently competes in Top 14, the top level of the French league system, ASMCA are the were the 2010 France Top 14 Champions. It is the rugby section of the multi-sport club...
, 30 August 2006, 45-15) and the winning try in the French Championship final against the same team in Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
on 9 June 2007, after scoring against Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
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
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
on a short term contract as cover for James Horwill. He started off slowly but was dubbed "outstanding" by Reds coach Ewen Mckenzie http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-union/reds/reds-muscle-up-for-stormers-20110407-1d5xh.html 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 27 August 2011. This try was later selected as IRPA's Try of the Year 2011.
At 35 years old, Samo is the oldest player to play for Australia in a Tri-Nations match. He was, unusually, selected to play on the wing for the 2011 Rugby World Cup match with Russia http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby-world-cup-2011/news/article.cfm?c_id=522&objectid=10755256http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/14829971.stm
Representative Record
- Senior club in Australia: Canberra
- Super 12/14 debut: 2000 v Reds, Canberra
- Test debut: 2004 v Scotland, Melbourne
Achievements
- Won 2001 & 2004 Super 12 Championship with ACT Brumbies
- Test Rugby Debut: 2004 v Scotland
- 2007 French Top 14 Champion with Stade Français
- 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