Newly signed Super Rugby halfback Peni Matawalu is known for his speed around the ruck and his passing accuracy.

He plays with an “off-the-cuff” style and thinks well on his feet.

The livewire scrumhalf played 12 matches for the Drua from 2018-2019 including their history making title win in 2018.

Matawalu is an exciting young prospect who has come through the Fiji High Performance Unit (HPU) having represented the Fiji under 20’s from 2016-2017, the Fiji Warriors and now part of the first Fijian Drua squad to enter the Super Rugby arena. Locally he has played for Namosi and was also part of Suva’s 2018 Skipper Cup winning side.

In 2019 he came off the bench in Fiji’s victory over the Barbarians and in 2020 he was included in the Flying Fijians Autumn Nations Cup squad.

“Niko was preparing for the 2011 Dubai 7s, and he showed me his rugby kit. How neat and new it looked, even the smell of it amazed me. He saw how astonished I was looking at his kit and told me to work hard, so one day I can be like. I think that was the moment I knew that one day I’d also don the national jumper.” –

An excerpt from the Fiji Times – “Matawalu comes from a sporting family. His mother Adi Aloesi Bukalidi-Matawalu is the eldest of the Bukalidi family, well known in rugby, football, bodybuilding and netball”

He is the brother of Flying Fijians veteran Nikola Matawalu. Their family hail from Dama Village in Ra and Peni attended Lelean Memorial School.

Going forward Matawalu will be competing for the Drua’s starting halfback jersey with the likes of Simione Kuruvoli. The pair will come into contention for a spot at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and are part of a lethal bunch of halbacks at the Flying Fijians disposal. A group that includes current test halfbacks Frank Lomani, Moses Sorovi and of course the evergreen Niko Matawalu.