Fijian among five to sign for Tigers
WORLD CUP STARS AMONG NEW PLAYERS AT WELFORD ROAD
FIJI winger Kini Murimurivalu and Argentina back Matias Morini are among five new players to sign for Leicester Tigers.
Murimurivalu, 31, moves to Welford Road after eight seasons at French side La Rochelle and has played in three World Cups.
Morini, 25, joins from the Jaguares Super Rugby franchise and played in the last two World Cups for Argentina.
Tigers have also signed Super Rugby-based backs Kobus Van Wyk, 28, and Guy Porter, 23, and ex-Harlequins forward Luke Wallace, 29.
The club has not disclosed the length of any of the deals the players have signed.
Murimurivalu, Wallace and Porter will all be available when the Premiership resumes next month, having been postponed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Outside-back Murimurivalu, who can play at full-back or on the wing, has made more than 130 appearances for La Rochelle.
He was born in Suva and played his junior rugby in Fiji, while being educated at Queen Victoria School.
He was selected by Fiji Under20s at the Junior Rugby World
Cup in 2009, before being signed by Clermont Auvergne in France in 2009, where he spent the next three seasons.
Murimurivalu made his international debut in 2011 against Tonga and has made more than 30 Test appearances for the Flying Fijians, including representing his home nation at three successive Rugby World Cups in 2011, 2015 and 2019.
“Kini is an exciting addition to our squad and someone I am sure will light up the Premiership while representing Leicester Tigers,” director of rugby Geordan Murphy told the club website.
“He is not only entertaining in attack but also a physical, strong defensive player and adds a wealth of experience to our side.
“I was fortunate enough to play alongside some talented Fijians at Tigers, who bring just as much to a club off the pitch as they do on it and Kini will be no different from what we saw in our conversations with him.
“Alongside fellow new recruits in the backline, including his international team-mate Nemani Nadolo, and the class we have with the likes of George Ford and Ben Youngs, it is a new-look, promising group of players to work with, who we believe represent what this club is working hard to be about moving forward on this journey.”
Murimurivalu said: “I feel blessed and happy to sign at Tigers.
“I have heard a lot about Leicester and its history and know some former players, like Seru Rabeni and Seremaia Bai, and have played with the Fiji team with Nemani.
“I am looking forward to the experience and the different environment in Leicester after more than 10 years in France, and to try new things.”
The 31-year-old said he was equally excited by the plans in place for the club after speaking to Murphy and new Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick.
“They told me about their plans and the future at Tigers and I was really excited and moved by what they had to say,” he said.
Murimurivalu will join an illustrious list of Fiji internationals to have represented Leicester Tigers and is looking forward to adding to that legacy.
“I am definitely excited about being a part of that, there have been lots of famous Fijians play at Leicester and I can now be part of that.”
Morini, who has played 47 times for his country, will join once his deal ends in Buenos Aires.
The outside-back, who plays predominantly at centre, played his junior rugby at Club Universitario de Buenos Aires (CUBA) before being selected in the Argentina Under-20s squad for the Junior Rugby World Cup in
2011.
In 2012, Moroni joined the World Rugby Sevens circuit as part of the Puma 7s squad and represented Argentina at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Moroni made his Test debut in 2014 against Scotland and has made more than 40 appearances for Los Pumas, including two successive Rugby World Cup campaigns in 2015 and
2019.
The entertaining outsideback was a member of the inaugural Jaguares squad in Super Rugby, who he has represented for five seasons and featured in the 2019 Super Rugby Final against the Crusaders alongside his futures Tigers team-mate Tomás Lavanini.
“He has carved out an impres
sive career in the southern hemisphere, as well as featuring as a regular member of the Argentina squad since making his international debut and brings with him a wealth of experience,” said Murphy.
“Our conversations with Matias have shown him to be an impressive man, who will contribute to what we are building at Leicester Tigers off the pitch, as well as on the pitch with his work ethic and skillset.
“It’s exciting to confirm his signature and we are looking forward to having him link-up with the new look group we have put together at Tigers, led by a well-balanced coaching group who can get the best out of them and see this club back to where we belong.”
Moroni said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be part of Leicester Tigers.
“It is such a historic club with the biggest crowd in England.
“It feels like being part of Boca Junior!”
Former South Africa youth international Van Wyk is currently with New Zealand’s Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise and will join after his participation in Super Rugby Aotearoa comes to an end.
The 28-year-old was a member of the South Africa Under20s squad at the 2012 Junior Rugby World Cup and featured throughout their Cup-winning campaign in front of their home crowd.
In 2014, Van Wyk joined the Stormers squad ahead of the Super Rugby season and made more than 30 appearances there during the next two seasons.
He also spent five months in France during 2016 as a medical joker for Bordeaux.
Van Wyk returned to South Africa ahead of the 2017 Super Rugby season to join the Sharks and made another 30 appearances over the next two seasons as well as representing the Durban-based club in the Currie Cup competition.
“Kobus is a proven finisher with an impressive resume in the southern hemisphere, who we are excited to have join us at Leicester Tigers,” said Murphy.
“He is a big, strong and hardworking player with the qualities we are looking for on the pitch and an impressive man who shares the values we have here at the club and are integral to what we are building in Leicester.
“He is a versatile player who adds depth to our outside-back ranks and will arrive in Leicester after finishing up with the Hurricanes, where he has been impressive throughout the Aotearoa competition.
“Kobus will add a point of difference out wide and brings with him valuable experience, which is important and exciting as we build this new look Tigers squad.”
Van Wyk said: “I am excited for the new challenge.
“I haven’t played in Europe or the United Kingdom before so I am excited to meet the boys and get stuck in with them and for what is ahead for us in the future.
“I am excited to work hard and get into the games and play my part out wide, finishing when the opportunity comes.”
Back-row Wallace spent 10 years at the Stoop before moving to Championship side Coventry last season, while England-born Porter joins from Canberra-based ACT Brumbies having lived in Australia since he was seven.
“Luke is an experienced Premiership campaigner who understands the hard work required to be consistent at this level,” said Murphy.
“He adds a different, unique component to our back row and will challenge our group for positions, to keep it competitive.”
Wallace said: “Having competed against Tigers my whole career, I am stoked to have opportunity to be back in the Premiership and be part of a squad desperate to push ourselves back up the table.”
On Porter, the director of rugby said: “Guy has been making waves in Australian rugby since his schoolboy days and joins us from a successful Sydney University outfit.
“He comes highly recommended and, of what we have seen of him on the pitch, it is exciting to have a player of his promise join the club.
“He adds versatile depth to our backline and is a player who builds his game on hard work, which is what we are about here in Leicester.”
The signings follow the departure of five Tigers stars – England centre Manu Tuilagi who has joined Sale, Telusa Veainu who has moved to Stade Francais, Kyle Eastmond, Greg Bateman and Noel Read – after they all refused to sign new contracts on reduced terms.