Tabai Matson

Last updated

Tabai Matson
Tabai Matson 2015.jpg
Matson in 2015
Birth nameJohn Tabaiwalu Fakavale Matson
Date of birth (1973-05-14) 14 May 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Nausori Highlands, Fiji
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight104 kg (16 st 5 lb; 229 lb)
School Christ's College
UniversityLincoln University
Occupation(s)Professional Rugby Coach
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1998–2000 CA Brive ()
2000–01 London Irish ()
2001–06 Yamaha Júbilo ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1994–97 Canterbury 56 (145)
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1996–98 Crusaders 25 (30)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1995–96 New Zealand 0 (0)
1999 Fiji 2 (0)
Coaching career
YearsTeam
2005–06 Yamaha Júbilo
2006 University of Queensland (Assistant)
2007–08 Gold Coast Breakers
2009–11 Canterbury (Assistant)
2012 Canterbury Head Coach
2013–2016 Crusaders (Assistant)
2015 Fiji (Attack)
2016–2017 Bath
2018–2021 Chiefs (Assistant)
2021– Harlequins

John Tabaiwalu Fakavale Matson (born 14 May 1973) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and a former New Zealand and Fiji rugby union representative. He is currently Director of Performance of Premiership Rugby club Harlequins.

Contents

Education

Matson attended Nelson College from 1985 to 1986, [1] before completing his secondary education at Christ's College in Christchurch. [2]

Playing career

A centre, Matson represented Canterbury at a provincial level and the Crusaders in Super Rugby. He was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1995 and 1996, playing 5 matches but no internationals. [2] He played two matches for Fiji at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. [3]

Coaching career

Matson formally played and coached Yamaha Júbilo in his final three seasons for the club. He went on to become assistant coach and player at the University of Queensland before becoming head coach of the Gold Coast Breakers in 2007. [4]

In 2009, he helped to revive the senior rugby programme of the oldest rugby club on the Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Eagles, as the Director of Rugby and head coach of the first grade team. That team went on to win the Gold Coast and District Rugby Union senior club competition (in his absence as he joined Canterbury as an assistant near the end of the season). [5]

He returned to New Zealand in 2009 as Canterbury assistant coach, before being promoted to head coach in 2012. [6] He led Canterbury to their fifth consecutive ITM Cup title by winning the 2012 ITM Cup. [7]

In 2012 he was hired by the Brazil Rugby Federation as a consultant as they began their journey towards the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was focused on staging a training camp for the National Men's 15-a-side team and the Women's 7's team. [8]

Matson was also the first non-Māori to coach the Māori All Blacks, assisting Head Coach Colin Cooper from 2013 to 2015. [9]

After coaching the Māori All Blacks in their test victory against the Flying Fijians in June 2015, he joined Fiji's coaching staff from the Pacific Nations Cup in Vancouver  – which they went on to win [10]  – through to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. [11]

Matson was an assistant coach for the 3 years for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition. He has held both Attack and Defence roles for them during his time and is a specialist backs coach. His departure was announced in September 2020. [12]

He joined Premiership Rugby side Harlequins as a senior coach ahead of the 2021–22 season. The previous season the club had won the league title. [13] That season, he guided them to the semi-final playoff for the league campaign, losing to Saracens away in the semi-final playoff. The following season they finished sixth. After two seasons, he left his coaching role at the club to become performance director overseeing both the men's and women's sides. In March 2023, it was announced he would depart the club at the end of the 2023-24 season. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Blackadder</span> NZ international rugby union player

Todd Blackadder is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and professional rugby coach. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, 14 times playing a total of 25 games and 12 tests. Blackadder captained the Crusaders to three Super Rugby titles during his time with the franchise while also winning two NPC titles with Canterbury. Blackadder coached the Crusaders for 9 seasons, without winning a title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shizuoka Blue Revs</span> Japanese rugby union club, based in Shizuoka

Shizuoka Blue Revs are a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League (2004–05). They were coached by former All Black Grant Batty and Fijian player-coach Tabai Matson. Founded in 1984, its name was "Yamaha Motors Rugby Football Club". The team rebranded as the Shizuoka Blue Revs ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Robertson (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Scott Maurice Robertson is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the All Blacks, the men's New Zealand national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manawatu Rugby Union</span> Rugby team

The Manawatu Rugby Football Union (MRU) serves as the governing body of the sport of rugby union in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Jackson (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Glen Warwick Jackson is a coach for the Fijian Drua and also Fiji national team. Jackson is also a former New Zealand rugby union player and referee. During his playing career, he was a first five-eighth. Domestically, he represented Bay of Plenty and Waikato in the NPC and the Saracens in the UK's Guinness Premiership. His strong performances saw him named in the Chiefs squad for the 1999 Super Rugby season and had international experience as well with New Zealand Māori and the Barbarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Joseph</span> New Zealand-born Japanese rugby union player and coach

James Whitinui Joseph is a New Zealand-born Japanese former rugby union player and current rugby union coach. A flanker, Joseph represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1992 to 1995, before representing Japan in 1999. Joseph, now head coach of the Japanese national side, has coached since his retirement, coming through the ranks in New Zealand before his first national stint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Baker</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Kurt Baker is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or wing for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby (MLR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominiko Waqaniburotu</span> Rugby player

Dominiko Maiwiriwiri Waqaniburotu is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a loose forward and lock for Section Paloise in France's Top 14, the highest division of domestic rugby union. He previously played for CA Brive, also in France in both Top 14 and ProD2, and Waikato in New Zealand's ITM Cup. Waqaniburotu debuted for Waikato in 2009 after representing Waikato at Under 20 and Development level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Smith (rugby union)</span> Former NZ international rugby union player

Aaron Luke Smith is a New Zealand rugby union player. A scrum half, Smith plays for the Highlanders in Super Rugby where he is the club's all time leader in caps, and for Manawatu in the ITM Cup. He has won 124 caps for New Zealand and is their most-capped back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Moody (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Joseph Paul Tamatea Moody is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a prop for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and Canterbury in the Bunnings NPC. He made his debut for New Zealand in 2014 and has 57 international caps.

Ash Dixon is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Green Rockets Tokatsu in the Japan Rugby League One. He formerly played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He has also played for the Hurricanes and Auckland.

Setareki Tamanivalu is a Fijian rugby union player and former All Black. He currently plays in the centre position for Toshiba Brave Lupus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nehe Milner-Skudder</span> Rugby player

Nehe Rihara Milner-Skudder is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for the Rugby New York.

Otere Black is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a first five-eighth for Bay of Plenty in the Mitre 10 Cup and the Blues in Super Rugby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portia Woodman</span> Rugby player

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team and New Zealand women's national rugby union team. Woodman was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team that won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Dickson (rugby union)</span> New Zealand rugby sevens player

Sam Dickson is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a forward for the New Zealand national sevens team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Tui</span> Rugby player

Ruby Malae Tui is a New Zealand rugby union player. She competed internationally when the national rugby sevens team won the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics tournament. She won a gold medal in rugby sevens at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She was a member of the Black Ferns team that won the 2021 Rugby World Cup.

Jonah Lowe is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing or centre for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

Isaia Walker-Leawere is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a lock for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.

Tyrone Thompson is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Chiefs in Super Rugby.

References

  1. ↑ "Rugby". The Bulletin. Nelson College: 11. December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Tabai Matson All Blacks profile". allblacks.com.
  3. ↑ "Tabai Matson". International High Performance Unit. Canterbury Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "New role, same philosophy for Matson: Win". Stuff NZ. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Gold Coast Eagles Team of the Decade selections revealed". Gold Coast Bulletin. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Rugby: Matson named as Canterbury coach". New Zealand Herald. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "Canterbury make it five in a row". allblacks.com. 27 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Brazil tours New Zealand on Olympic rugby mission - China.org.cn". china.org.cn. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  9. ↑ "Colin Cooper appointed Head Coach of Maori All Blacks". allblacks.com (Press release). 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Fiji beat Samoa to win thrilling Pacific Nations Cup final". Rugbydump. 5 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Tabai Matson to be part of the Flying Fijians during the Rugby World Cup". Fiji One. 5 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  12. ↑ "Chiefs part ways with Tabai Matson in Super Rugby coaching reshuffle". 12 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Tabai Matson to join coaching team ahead of new season". www.quins.co.uk (Press release). 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Tabai Matson: Former Harlequins senior coach to leave at end of the season". BBC. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  15. ↑ "Harlequins: Billy Millard named director of rugby as Tabai Matson leaves head coach role". www.bbc.com. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.