Former Fiji captain Nayacalevu reinvents himself as a No.8 on debut for fifth-tier RO Grasse

Waisea Nayacalevu, the former Fiji captain who built his career as a centre and winger across the Top 14 and beyond, will make his debut for Rugby Olympique de Grasse in the French Fédérale 2 as a No.8 — a position he has never played professionally.

The 35-cap international joined RO Grasse after leaving Nissa Rugby, where he scored three tries in 11 appearances and helped the club earn promotion to the Pro D2. When Nissa chose not to renew his centre contract, Grasse moved quickly to sign the Fijian on a deal of undisclosed length.

Fédérale 2 is the fifth tier of French club rugby, sitting below the Top 14, Pro D2, Nationale and Fédérale 1. It is a predominantly amateur competition, though some clubs also field semi-professional players. Nayacalevu missed Grasse’s opening Pool 3 fixture but is now set to feature in the starting XV — albeit in a drastically different role from the one that defined his career.

Nayacalevu began his professional journey at Stade Français in 2013, spending nine seasons in Paris and winning the EPCR Challenge Cup in 2017. He moved to RC Toulon in 2022 on a two-year deal before shorter stints with Sale Sharks in the Premiership and the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship.

At international level, he debuted for the Flying Fijians in 2012, scoring a try in a 25-19 victory over Japan, and went on to appear in three Rugby World Cups, accumulating 10 Test appearances across those tournaments and four tries. His most recent cap came in 2024, when Fiji were beaten 52-17 by Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Grasse made a winning start to their Fédérale 2 campaign, defeating Avignon le Pontet Rugby in the first round, and will be hoping that Nayacalevu’s experience — however unconventional his new role — adds further momentum to their season.