Maroons set Skipper target
Namotomoto, Nadi native Kitione Salawa Jnr wants to play for the Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team.
He captained the Fiji Schoolboys 7s team at the World School Sevens in Auckland, New Zealand over the weekend.The side lost to Tonga 3112 during the Plate final.
This was also the Ratu Navula College student first time to captain the Fiji Under-18 sevens team.
“I’m proud and happy to be part of the sevens outfit,” he said.
“I would like to play for the national 7s team and hopefully the Flying Fijians in future.
“It was a learning experience for us and we gave our best despite the result.
“We need to play more together to build a strong team in the future.
” I’m grateful to be given the lead role.”
He played for Ratu Navula College, Gaunavou RC and Nadi Under-20. He also played in the U16 in 2017 as flanker during the tour to Australia and U18 tour to New Zealand
His namesake and dad Salawa Snr is proud his son.
“I am proud to see him make the cut, and given the role to captain is an icing on the cake,” Salawa Snr said.
“He is following the family rugby tradition and nowadays they are luckier as they have more chance to represent Fiji.
“As a flanker I reminded role in attack and defence.”
Salawa Snr played for Nadi from 1998 – 2004 and for Fiji in 7s in 2001. He made his XV debut for Fiji on July, 4, 2003, against Tonga, in Nadi. Salawa then went on to be a member of the Fiji squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, playing two matches in the tournament, with the match against Scotland, on 1 November 2003; in Sydney was his last for Fiji. of his
Lautoka targets to make a mark in the 2020 Skipper Cup Premiership competition which kicks off on March 28. The Maroons return to the top flight competition after being promoted from the Vodafone Vanua Championship competition with Yasawa
Lautoka Rugby Union secretary Sefanaia Scholte said they want to remain in the top level competition in future.
“We aim to be in the top four next year and beyond,” he said. “For us we have been working hard to have a strategic plan in place to monitor our players throughout the season so that we are able to compete right through. “We have to look after our players’ welfare and see that they are taken care of on and off the field.”
Scholte added that Lautoka returned after a lapse of three years through the guidance of former national rep Ifereimi Rawaqa. He said there would be more clubs joining the competition next year. “We want to thank Rawaqa for helping us make it to the top,” he said.
“Currently we have 29 participating in our club games and will have more in 2020 because of the new clubs that wants to join.”
“For us Yasawa rugby is not a threat but a helper because it our second team.
“We helped each other out to make it here so it’s a give and take situation for us.
“They have really helped us a lot in terms of preparing for the Vanua Challenge and throughout the whole competition.”