INTERVIEW | Suaia Matagi discusses valuable Dons programme he's heading up

Ahead of the Dons opening Challenge Cup fixture away at Widnes this Sunday, February 11, Suaia Matagi opened up about the valuable work he's been doing with prisoners in the UK.

Matagi joined the Dons this off-season ahead of the 2024 season and has jumped straight into the work Doncaster RLFC do off the field, most notably with a new reduce reoffending programme.  

Doncaster and Matagi are preparing for the challenge Widnes will pose this weekend, however the Dons new signing took time to talk about the work he's doing away from the training ground. 

Matagi explains the reduce reoffending programme:

"It's an eight-weeks programme going into prisons where we can use our platform and experiences to give back. It's so rewarding to hear these guys dream again and want to start re-living once they get out."

The programme ran by Dons chief exec Carl Hall and head of development Martin Rowlands is designed to introduce not only rugby but open conversations to groups of prisoners, sharing experiences and offering opportunities to change and plan how they can move forward. 

The prop's message:

"A lot of the guys in there are feeling like their lives have come to an end but, like in a game of footy you don't stop playing because of an error, you come back at half time to address them and go back out and apply the lessons you've learned."

More about the reduce reoffending programme is on its way across the Dons website and socials soon.  

To watch the full interview click on the video above.