Radike Samo
Loose Forward
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Profile
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Height:
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197cm
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Weight:
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117kg
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Date Of Birth:
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09/07/1976
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Rugby Career
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Senior Club:
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QLD Reds
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Stats
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Test Rugby Caps:
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16 (Wallabies Cap # 789)
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Test Rugby Points:
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15 (3t)
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Test Rugby Debut:
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2004 v Scotland, Melbourne
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Responsible for arguably the most astonishing comeback to Test rugby of the professional era, RADIKE SAMO was acknowledged by the International Rugby Board, when he was awarded Try of the Year at the annual awards night which brought the curtain down on the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Samo try against New Zealand in the Tri Nations decider, where the remarkable 35-year-old ran the ball in from near halfway, was the signature moment of a stellar season which also saw him win the Tri Nations and Super Rugby titles, as well as returning to his childhood roots by starting a Test match for the Qantas Wallabies on the wing!
The former Fijian Under-19 reps’ reintroduction to the Test arena came off the bench against South Africa in Durban during Australia’s 14-9 win over the Springboks in the Tri Nations. While the cap was the seventh of the Samo Wallaby career, it came an incredible 2456 days after he had played his sixth international, which had been against Scotland on the 2004 Spring Tour. The Test cap marked the most significant step yet of a most unlikely journey, which had started in 2010 when Samo was summoned out of semi-retirement to reinforce the injury hit Queensland Reds at the tail end of Super Rugby. Samo, who left Australia after the 2006 season for playing stints in both Japan and France, was playing club rugby in Sydney when called up by Ewen McKenzie. The impression he made during the two-match stint was such that he was awarded a full contract for last season, playing his part as the Reds climbed the mountain for the first time by nabbing the Super Rugby title.
Selection for the Qantas Wallabies followed, with Samo coming off the bench at Durban before starting at Suncorp Stadium where his much celebrated try helped inspire Australia to its first Tri Nations title in a decade.
Samo began his first Rugby World Cup as he’d finished the Tri Nations, scoring a try in Australia’s opening day win over Italy. A further try followed against the United States of America in a match he finished on the wing after injuries decimated Wallabies ranks. Samo had last played wing for the Canberra Vikings in the Brisbane club competition a decade earlier, but handled the change well, which saw him selected to start from the position during the historic Test against Russia at Nelson. He returned to the back of the scrum for the remainder of the year, finishing 2011 having more than doubled his career tally of Test appearances, after having played six Tests during his first ‘stint’ as a Wallaby in 2004.
A former Under-19 representative for Fiji, Samo moved to Canberra in 1998 to play club rugby with the Tuggeranong Vikings. The move brought him into the Brumbies frame, and he went on to play 35 matches for the Canberra-based franchise between 2000 and 2006, including all 13 matches of the title-winning 2004 campaign. Selection for the Wallabies in 2004 allowed him to play five Tests during the domestic Test season, before he featured off the bench against Scotland at Glasgow during that season’s Spring Tour. Samo’s Test appearances have been exclusively as a loose forward although he did feature at lock for the Brumbies during the earlier stages of his career.
FAST FACT
Radike Samo’s return to Super Rugby opened the way for the big Fijian to raise a half century of appearances in the competition, ending last year with 52 to his name. By featuring in the Reds’ title-winning campaign, Samo became the first Australian player to win Super Rugby three times, having been a member of the Brumbies’ title-winning seasons in 2001 and 2004. Just for good measure, Samo also shared in a French Top 14 crown during his time with the Parisian-based Stade Francais.