French Top 14 club Clermont has extended the contract of Fiji-born flyer Alivereti Raka till 2026.
The strong men of the Auvergne group will evolve in Michelin in the coming seasons like Raka featuring in his 9th season in the French competition.
Former France star and now Clermont Coach Christophe Urios in a statement said the 29-year-old Nadroga native also has an option to further extend his contract till 2027.
“The best recruitment starts by keeping our best players.”
“It was unthinkable to imagine Alivereti anywhere other than with us.”
“He is one of the players who represent this club. It’s a symbol a bit like Peceli Yato. It is both a symbol of the formation of the club, of integration but also of the success of the ASM. When I see Clermont win its last title in 2017, it’s him I see crossing the field.”
Arriving at the club in 2015, Raka quickly stood out as an incredible finisher.
Author of two tries during his first two outings in Yellow and Blue, the winger with a devastating speed-power ratio has only confirmed the potential detected in Fiji and enhanced by the Auvergne air to which he has acclimatised with ease as disconcerting as his hooks.
“He’s a great guy and a very high-level player, capable of turning a match around, a strong, aggressive player, who scores tries and who is feared,” Urios added.
“We need players like that who impose something strong, powerful! A true symbol of Clermont which scores and wins: the one that the club is rebuilding stone by stone.
Meanwhile, Raka also scored a try in their 41-22 loss to Lyon on Monday morning.
