‘Full circle moment’ – Scotland player with Fijian heritage could win first cap in Suva

The powerful No. 8 has a foot in both camps. His mum, Melanie, is from Paisley, and his dad, Massi, hails from a Fijian village close to Labasa.

The player himself was born in Australia and at one point looked on course to play for the Wallabies. He was involved in age-group rugby for Australia before his career took him on a different path.

Masibaka, 23, had played in Super Rugby for Western Force but moved to France in 2023 to join Montpellier, who then loaned him out to Soyaux Angoulême, a second-tier club based in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

The ProD2 is a tough league, and it was here he established himself, becoming a fixture in the team over the last two seasons and catching the eye of Scotland’s lead performance analyst, Gav Vaughan.

My mum was jumping up and down

He was called up by Gregor Townsend ahead of this year’s Six Nations, and although he never played, it whetted his appetite for Test rugby.

“The Six Nations was a good experience, very motivating for me,” said Masibaka, who at 6 ft 1 in and 18 stone cuts an imposing figure. “I was very happy to get the call to come back in, and so was my family. I’m feeling more motivated than ever to do something here and hopefully get my first cap.

“It would mean a lot to me and my family. My mum was jumping up and down when I got the call again, and then I told my grandparents, who come from Glasgow, and my nana was crying and my grandad was jumping around as well.

“Was my dad jumping around as well? He was certainly happy. He comes from Fiji, so when he heard I was going on this tour, he told his village and all my family there as well. They were all happy for me even though they’re the opposition.”

The game against Fiji is shaping up to be the key fixture on this tour. Scotland opens against the Māori All Blacks in Whangārei this Saturday, but it is a non-cap game, and no ranking points are at stake. Townsend’s squad will then fly to Suva to face Fiji in a full Test match. Their hosts are ninth in the world, two places below the Scots, who are eyeing ranking points to boost their standing ahead of the Rugby World Cup draw at the end of the year. For Masibaka, the game will have extra resonance.

Dad sacrificed a lot for us

“My parents and my immediate family all live in Perth, Australia, but my father comes from a village near Labasa, and a lot of my cousins and uncles and aunties are all over there, so hopefully I get to see them. The last time I was there was 2017, so it’s been a long time coming. I know they’ll be really happy,

and so will my dad.”

Massi’s own rugby career took him from Fiji to Perth, and now his son will have the opportunity to play on the island for the first time.

“He’s sacrificed a lot for all of us, me and my family,” said Masibaka. “He left his own family from a young age, and this is kind of what he sacrificed himself for, to give us these kinds of opportunities, so he’s very happy and very proud, especially against Fiji. It’s a big full-circle moment for us.”

It could be a case of divided loyalties in the family, as his mother and maternal grandparents made sure Masibaka was well aware of his Scottish heritage growing up.

“My mum is a very proud woman; she loves being Scottish, and so do I, so it’s a big thing for all of us,” he said. “She moved to Perth when she was two years old, but there’s always a big part of her that misses being here.”

Masibaka will return to Montpellier next season, moving up to the Top 14, a top-flight rugby league. It’s a reward for a fine season, and he hopes it can continue on the summer tour.

“I feel like I can bring a bit of go-forward to get the team going in attack,” he said. “At the moment I’m just trying to be a sponge to learn and study what my role could be to help the team as best I can.

“I love getting my hands on the ball and trying to play; I’ve done that since I was a young kid. So definitely the way Scotland plays, I feel, will suit my game. They have some of the best attacks in the world, so it’s exciting to try to be a part of that.”