Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Akim Matvejev | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 29 June 2006 Tallinn, Estonia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 7 August 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Akim Matvejev (born 29 June 2006) is an Estonian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop forward for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League.
Matvejev was born in Tallinn, Estonia. He moved with his family to England in 2012. [3]
He studied at Bruntcliffe Academy and Leeds College of Building. [3]
Matvejev played junior rugby league for Drighlington ARLFC after he took up the sport aged 12. He joined the Castleford Tigers development system at scholarship level. [3]
In April 2024, Matvejev signed a two-year contract with the Castleford Tigers alongside nine academy teammates. [4] He was first named in the 21-man squad to face Leigh on 1 August and assigned squad number 39, although did not feature. [5] [6] On 13 September, Matvejev made his Super League debut for Castleford against St Helens as an interchange. [7] [8] In doing so, he became the first Estonian to play in the Super League. [9] [10] He made his first senior start the following week against Huddersfield. [11] [12]
On 7 August 2025 it was reported that he had signed for Rochdale Hornets in the RFL League 1 on loan for the remainder of the 2025 season [13]