Friday night was a special occasion for Akim Matvejev: when the Castleford Tigers teenager made his senior debut in the Super League clash at St Helens.
That he was born in Estonia before moving to England as a child adds huge intrigue to a story which has echoes of Leeds Rhinos star and fellow Eastern European Mikolaj Oledzki’s rise to prominence.
Matvejev, an imposing forward who only turned 18 last month, has shone in the Tigers’ academy and head coach Craig Lingard handed him his senior bow in their 40-4 defeat to Saints at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday evening.
Love Rugby League spoke to Castleford’s head of youth Rob Nickolay about the starlet’s considerable potential in an academy which is thriving again.
Matvejev was born in the Estonian capital of Tallinn and is understood to have moved to England from his homeland in 2012.
“Akim came to rugby league fairly late and we saw him play for Drighlington in a final when he played really well,” Nickolay told Love Rugby League.
“That was maybe two years ago now and there was no pressure on him signing for us because I think he just enjoyed playing with his mates at Drig.
“We invited Akim down to Castleford when there were a couple of other clubs interested in him at the time – they offered him money but he decided to come to us as a community-based player at first.
“I respected him massively for that and we were lucky to be able to bring him on board probably midway through the first year of the academy.
“He got a handful of games and this year he’s been a mainstay for us really, having come on leaps and bounds since he first joined us.
“When he first came to us, he was a very quiet, reserved and laid-back character but the boys have taken to him and he’s now a leader for us within the academy.
Matvejev’s family are extremely supportive of him and are seen cheering him on from the sidelines at every game.
And on Friday, he made history when he became the first Estonia-born player in Super League.
Castleford assistant coach Scott Murrell hails from the Drighlington area and is involved with the local amateur club.
He has helped Matvejev to get to training at the Tigers from his local area and supporting his journey.
Matvejev has been studying at Leeds Building College alongside his training commitments at Castleford and will go full-time with the Tigers later this year.
He was one of 10 youngsters who in April were announced as having signed two-year contracts with Castleford, with a third-year option in the club’s favour.
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