Fiji-born wing Manasa Mataele will join his uncle, Setareki Tamanivalu at the Crusaders next year.
The 19-year-old has been in New Zealand less than two years after getting an invitation to attend the Taranaki Rugby Academy.
He attended Marist Brothers High School in Suva.
Mataele represented the Taranaki Sevens and Under‑19 teams before he was offered a National Provincial Championship contract for 2016.
Mataele told stuff.co that he has always wanted to play with a family member in the same team and the fact that Tamanivalu is an All Black makes it even more special.
He says Tamanivalu often lived with them when he was boarding at Lelean Memorial School.
Other players included in the Crusaders 2017 squad are Canterbury prop Oliver Jager, Tasman players Andrew Makalio and Quinten Strange, Manawatu’s Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Halfback Bryn Hall, former Wallaby Digby Ioane and Canterbury speedster George Bridge.
