Rob Kauvesi and Key Moments on a Road That Led to Gold and Much More
As the manager of the Fiji 7s team, Rob (Ropate) Kauvesi, called the 13th player, Masivesi Dakuwaqa into the lounge of the hotel they were staying in.
The year was 2016 and the location was Deodora in Rio, Brazil. This was an event that led to Fiji’s famous Olympic gold medal win.
The player sat on the floor wondering why the management wanted to speak to him midway through the sevens tournament.
“I have never shared this moment with anyone, but I feel that this is one of those times when I was touched by the raw emotions of a person,” Mr Kauvesi said.
“Masivesi had travelled with the team as an extra player and he was not allowed to stay with the team. He had to lodge with the management.
“Savenaca Rawaca had picked up an injury and we were heading into the semi-finals. I called Masivesi to the lounge. He sat on the floor. I asked him if he was ready knowing very well that this young man had given his heart and soul to make the squad.”
Mr Kauvesi said he pulled out the white and black jersey set, followed by the alternate blue and handed it to Masivesi Dakuwaqa, telling him it was his call up.
“Masivesi sat on the floor for five minutes, maybe a little longer. Tears streamed down his face. I had tears in my eyes realising what this moment meant for the young player,” he said.
Masivesi Dakuwaqa went to play an integral part in Fiji’s semi-final win and then on to the euphoric victory in the final.
Early life
Humble beginnings lead to a humble way of life. This is the belief Mr Kauvesi has.
He was born in Suva and grew up in what was once called the Bronx of Suva – Raiwaqa. It was the 1980s.
Raiwaqa had become synonymous as being the school of hard knocks.
“Some of the boys I grew up with ended up in jail because of the lifestyle they had chosen. For me, my parents were driving factors in life and they ensured I stayed on the right path,” he said.
Being the second of five siblings, Mr Kauvesi also had to make sure that he showed his siblings the right thing to do.
He had his primary school education at the Latter-Day Saints Primary School in Suva. After Year Six, it was off to Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS).
“I followed in the footsteps of my father. I can say that boarding at RKS prepared me for what life was to bring,” he said.
Mr Kauvesi played rugby in the champion under-15 and under-16 RKS teams. He quickly caught the eye of the senior coach and was drafted into the under-19 side soon after.
But he did not stay at the school for too long.
He was offered a scholarship to study at the prestigious rugby school, Scots
College, in Wellington,
New Zealand.
He rubbed shoulders with some future New Zealand greats at school and then progressed to play club rugby at the Oriental Rugby Club in Wellington.
He juggled this while working as a dishwasher and studying at a Polytech. He recalls All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu as a child who used to be a ball boy.
He played with Ardie and Julian Savea’s father. He got married and started working for the National Bank in New Zealand and later moved to Sydney when he started working for the Commonwealth Bank.
Back to Fiji
In 2008, Mr Kauvesi returned to Fiji. His father had died and there was no one to look after his mother.
He had brought his family as well. Over the years, his family returned to Sydney. He remained in Fiji and in 2013, he had made up his mind to go abroad again to look for new challenges.
It was during this time he had also applied to become a manager for the Fiji 7s team.
“I was called for the interview and after that, I had to make the decision to forgo the trip I had planned. I am glad that I did,” Mr Kauvesi said.
This was the start of what would become a winning combination with the soon-to-be announced national 7s head coach Ben Ryan.
There were three managers appointed by Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) then and Ben Ryan wanted to see who had the skills that he needed.
“Ben was a visionary. I have never seen a man who prepared so well. When he came down to Fiji, he had already planned each and every game leading to the final of the Olympic Games,” Mr Kauvesi said.
“My first trip with him was to the Dubai and South Africa leg. There was no looking back from that point.”
Mr Kauvesi said one of the things he is proud of is working with Ben Ryan to contract the 7s players.
“Ben could not bear the fact that players, while eating well with the team, were always worried about when their families’ next meal would come,” he said.
Two minutes to Gold
The euphoria that was created when Fiji won their first ever gold medal still brings back nostalgia for many Fijians. It was one of those moments that united Fijians all over the world and sent the nation into a frenzy.
But being on the sidelines and having played a key role in getting to that glory had its unique sentiments.
“I can remember clearly as if it was just yesterday. Ben and I looked at the clock. There were two minutes left on the clock and the boys were doing what we had hoped they would,” Mr Kauvesi said.
“At that point in time, Ben and I looked at each other. We both knew we had the gold. Fiji was going to be in the history books.”
Life in Pacific Harbour
Mr Kauvesi had been working for Uprising Beach Resort, looking after their sports centre.
Following Fiji’s 7s victory, the Uprising ground was in demand.
“I had been able to get half a million dollars worth of bookings from overseas schools and rugby clubs for Uprising,” he said.
“But COVID-19 came and all that is now on the back burner.”
Mr Kauvesi is married again and lives in Pacific Harbour. He is also working with TDB Sports management scouting rugby talents and signing players for lucrative contracts with overseas clubs.
He has also managed to get some of our 7s boys overseas, including Jasa Veremalua, Vatemo Ravouvou and Josua Vici.
He hopes that Fiji will fight it out of COVID-19 soon. And there will be more gold in Tokyo