No end in sight for this warrior
RUBIN Fuimaono tomorrow will become the first player to crack the 200-game barrier for Bond University and its previous identity Gold Coast Breakers – and he could yet push on to the 250 mark.
Second-rower Fuimaono made his Breakers debut in 2004, the year the club won the Queensland Premier Rugby grand final.
He had moved to the Gold Coast from Auckland and joined younger brother Josh, now a club legend.
While Josh retired last year, Rubin continued on and even at 36 years of age says he still maintains the drive to fire on the football field.
“They’ve gone pretty quick,” he said of the past 14 years.
“I’ve just been enjoying it. I am just passionate about footy. As soon as you get on the field you enjoy the competition.”
And other commitments allowing, he has no plans to hang up the boots at the end of the season.
“I have still got a few years left in me,” said Fuimaono, who was part of the inaugural Queensland Country National Rugby Championship squad in 2014. “I can definitely keep playing for another two or three years, easily.”
Fuimaono, who has floated between premier and reserve grade this season, will register his milestone when he starts for Bond’s reserves against Wests tomorrow.
He may then back up on the premier bench and has his sights set on forcing his way back into the top side, who are trying to finish a dismal year on a high.
“We want to build up to that last game against Uni (University of Queensland, on July 29),” he said.
“They are the top of the comp and haven’t been beaten so that would be sort of a goal that I think the team should build up to, taking that top team off their perch.”
Fuimaono said Bond’s series of missed opportunities this season – including their 25-22 loss to Wests two months ago – had been “just a mental thing for a lot of the young ones”.
Wests enter the premier grade match at Robina desperate for points, having dropped to fifth on the ladder after a bye last week.
I CAN DEFINITELY KEEP PLAYING FOR ANOTHER TWO OR THREE YEARS, EASILY RUBIN FUIMAONO