Josaia Raisuqe

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Josaia Raisuqe
Birth nameJosaia Wini Raisuqe
Date of birth(1994-07-22)22 July 1994
Place of birthLutu, Naitasiri, Fiji
Date of death8 May 2025(2025-05-08) (aged 30)
Place of death Saïx, Tarn, France
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight113 kg (17 st 11 lb; 249 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Openside Flanker
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2015–2017 Stade Français 17 (15)
2017–2021 Nevers 67 (155)
2021–2025 Castres 65 (75)
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
2015–2024 Fiji 7s [1] 27
Medal record
Men's rugby sevens
Representing Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Paris Team competition

Josaia Wini Raisuqe (22 July 1994 – 8 May 2025) was a Fijian rugby union player. He played at wing and openside flanker for French Top 14 side Stade Français after which he played for the French Rugby Pro D2 side, Nevers and in 2021, he returned to Top14 rugby and played for Castres. In January 2025, he signed to play with ProD2 side, CA Brive for two years. [2]

Contents

Career

Early career

Raisuqe was born in Lutu, Naitasiri and he took up rugby at a very young age. He dreamed of playing for the Fiji 7's team and it came to fruition when the then Fiji 7's coach Ben Ryan spotted him playing in the Martintar and Marist 7's and selected him for the Fiji 7's team for the 2015 Hong Kong Sevens. [3] He played in five tournaments for Fiji scoring 14 tries but in July 2015, French Top 14 side, Stade Français signed him up for the 2015–16 Top 14 season. [4]

Stade Français

Raisuqe made his debut on 31 October against Agen off the bench. He also made the side for the 2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage. He scored two tries against Benetton Treviso. [5] but in a game against Munster two weeks later, he was red carded for eye-gouging Munster captain CJ Stander [6] and even though Stade won the game, Raisuqe was charged with eye-gouging and suspended for 15 weeks. [7] He returned to rugby the following season and then went on to make the Stade side for the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup pool stage as Stade were demoted after failing to make the cut for the 2016–17 European Rugby Champions Cup after being unable to finish in the Top 8 in the 2015–16 Top 14 season. He helped Stade make the Cup Quarter-final but in their quarter-final match against Ospreys, he received a yellow card for foul play which was followed by another yellow card (and a red) after entering a ruck from the side [8] but videos for the game showed he stamped on Osprey winger, Keelan Giles for which he was cited [9] and later given a 10-week suspension. [10]

Controversy

On 22 July 2017, Raisuqe decided to celebrate his birthday drinking at a club along with teammate, Waisea Nayacalevu. They both left the club intoxicated and on the way they met a woman. Raisuqe grabbed the woman and physically molested her by fondling her breasts. Her friends tried to help but both Raisuqe and Nayacalevu punched them. Raisuqe and Nayacalevu were picked up by police at around 3am and spent the whole day in jail. [11] They were taken to court two days later and a trial date was set for 29 November.

On 18 August, Stade Francais fired Raisuqe for "gross misconduct" and gave Nayacalevu a formal warning. [12]

Return to rugby

In September 2017, Raisuqe was picked up by Pro D2 side, Nevers for the 2017–18 Rugby Pro D2 season. [13] He enjoyed an excellent 2018–19 season, helping his club to a top six finish, and was the league's top try scorer with 15 tries. [14]

In January 2021, after winning a tough game against Béziers (30-25), he lifted the referee in the extra time and got sent off. He was subsequently banned for five weeks for that incident. To that point, Raisuqe had 10 yellow cards and 5 red cards to his name in French rugby as well as a yellow card he collected when playing with the Fiji 7's team.

He was part of the Fijian side that won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. [15] [16] [17]

Death

On the morning of 8 May 2025, Raisuqe died after his car was hit by a train at a level crossing in Saïx, Tarn, France. He was 30. [18] [19]

Honours

Personal

References

  1. ↑ "Mens & Womens Rugby Sevens Teams | HSBC Rugby SVNS Series".
  2. ↑ "Raisuqe signs with Brive". Rugby Rama. Fiji Sun. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Wini's dream comes true – Fiji Times Online". fijitimes.com. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Conduit, Rox (2 July 2015). "FBC News". fbc.com.fj. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "REPORT: Raisuqe brace helps Stade complete Treviso double". epcrugby.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "REPORT: 14-man Stade see off Munster". epcrugby.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Disciplinary hearing decision: Josaia Raisuqe". epcrugby.com. Retrieved 21 August 2017. suspended for 15 weeks
  8. ↑ "REPORT: 14-man Stade end Ospreys' European dream". epcrugby.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017. after cynically entering a ruck from the side
  9. ↑ Southcombe, Matthew (3 April 2017). "Stade Francais winger cited for stamping on Keelan Giles". walesonline. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Stade Francais' Josaia Raisuqe receives 10-week ban for stamping". Sky Sports. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Fijian pair face trial after alleged drunken sex assault". Sport. Retrieved 21 August 2017. picked up by police at around 3am
  12. ↑ "BREAKING: Stade Francais player sacked for 'gross misconduct'". rugbypass.com. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017. gross misconduct
  13. ↑ Rédaction. "Transferts : Josaia Raisuqe, licencié du Stade Français, rejoint Nevers". L'ÉQUIPE. Retrieved 11 September 2017. Nevers
  14. ↑ "RUGBY PRO D2 : STATISTIQUES DÉTAILLÉES". Ligue Nationale de Rugby. 26 May 2019.
  15. ↑ Prasad, Vashneel (4 July 2021). "Fijian Rugby Sevens teams named for Tokyo Olympic Games". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "Fiji - Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Paris 2024". www.world.rugby. 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "Fiji claims Olympic silver medal after losing to France in rugby sevens final". ABC Pacific. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  18. ↑ Bourniquel, David (8 May 2025). "Carnet noir : Josaia Raisuqe décède dans un tragique accident de la route, à un passage à niveau". rugbyrama.fr (in French). Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  19. ↑ Brassart, Pauline (8 May 2025). "INFO LA DÉPÊCHE. Le joueur du Castres Olympique Josaia Raisuqe meurt dans un accident de la route à un passage à niveau". ladepeche.fr (in French). Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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