Worcester sign former Camborne rugby player Josh Matavesi

The versatile 21-year-old, who has won five caps for his country, is currently playing for Racing Metro in the French Top 14, but will move to Sixways this summer.

The powerful 6ft 1ins 15-stone centre, who can also play full-back, fly-half and wing, grew up in England and spent two years with Exeter Chiefs before moving to the Parisian outfit at the start of this season.

Matavesi was in Cornwall over Easter when he played in the Penryn rugby sevens tournament for the Capio Egg7s.

Matavesi was born in Camborne to an English mother and a Fijian father and, despite being called up to the England Under 20s squad for the 2009 Six Nations, he subsequently opted to play for the land of his father. He went on to win three caps for Fiji Under 20s, before being picked for his country’s senior side.

< Having found opportunities limited at Sandy Park, Matavesi jumped at the chance to join Racing as injury cover for star Argentinian fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez.

The signing of Matavesi will complete head coach Richard Hill’s recruitment drive ahead of the 2012/13 campaign and will give Worcester an extra attacking threat in midfield.

Hill has moved quickly to fill the consdiderable void left by the departures of long-serving centre Dale Rasmussen and Alex Crockett, by signing Jon Clarke from Northampton Saints, as well as Matavesi.

The new recruits will team up with the international duo of Scotland’s Alex Grove and Fiji’s Ravai Fatiaki to form a stong quartet to battle it out for the two centre berths.

While Hill has signed Matavesi primarily as a centre, the Warriors boss has been impressed by the player’s versatility and he has a strong left-footed kicking game that will enable him to cover at both full-back and fly-half.

Club captain Chris Pennell and Errie Claassens are currently the only two senior full-backs in the Warriors first-team squad for next term, but Matavesi should be an able deputy if required.