Northampton Saints lock Temo Mayanavanua will depart the membership on the finish of the season, the place he’s poised to signal for the Fijian Drua in his homeland.
The 27-year-old joined the Saints after the 2023 World Cup, and has gone on to make 35 appearances thus far, scoring one strive.
Regardless of his tenure at Franklin’s Gardens being temporary, it has been laden with success. The lock got here off the bench within the Gallagher Premiership last final season because the Saints beat Bath 25-21, one thing he has described as a “profession spotlight”.
The Fijian has the chance so as to add extra silverware earlier than he departs, together with his aspect set to face Bordeaux-Begles within the Investec Champions Cup last. Mayanavanua began within the heroic 34-37 victory over Leinster within the semi-final, and can probably begin within the last in Cardiff, which might be certainly one of his last matches in inexperienced, black and gold.
“It has been a blessing for me and family to be at Saints,” said Mayanavanua.
“From the very begin, and even earlier than I came visiting, the best way they sorted my spouse and son to get them settled in was so particular.
“I felt a extremely good buzz from the primary day. Everybody made me really feel prefer it was residence and that it was a particular group. Going onto win the Premiership final season speaks volumes about that, and now progressing to the Investec Champions Cup Ultimate echoes that too.
“However I’ve been away from Fiji for practically eight years, and for my spouse it has been six. It actually hit me after we went residence lately, and have been surrounded by household particularly seeing my son together with his cousins.
“Earlier than, us boys from the islands needed to go overseas to play as there was no profession path for us. Now there’s a skilled crew in Fiji, we’ve got that choice.
“Saints are at all times going to have a particular place in my coronary heart. It has been a extremely robust determination to make, we’ve got actually liked our time right here in Northampton.
“The supporters, particularly, have made us really feel so welcome and that has made it so arduous to decide on whether or not to go residence or keep.
“Successful the Premiership was a profession spotlight for me, it’s not one thing I ever thought I might obtain. I arrived having received the Challenge Cup with Lyon and didn’t know I’d have extra success with Saints. I actually obtained a style for it, and I’m decided to see us take pleasure in extra success earlier than I log off.”
Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson added: “Temo had a huge effect for us final season. After we watched him play for his former membership, we actually preferred how bodily he was, however we in all probability didn’t see then how unbelievably skilful he was and the way good a reader of the sport he’s. These are clearly aspects of his sport that might be sorely missed.
“However off it, Temo has been a father determine to what’s a younger squad. He has sorted them and he has led in his personal method. So, we’re very unhappy to see him go as a result of he has had a huge effect from the second he got here in and he’ll proceed to for the remainder of the season.
“However a possibility introduced itself to play skilled rugby in his residence nation which implies he’ll, in fact, be a lot nearer to his household. And whereas we’re disillusioned to lose him, we perceive the choice he has made and can want him all one of the best when the time comes.”
