Naikore, Rasaku shortlisted for World Rugby Awards
Fijians Vitalina Naikore and Kaminieli Rasaku are among world stars World Rugby has shortlisted for the World Rugby Awards 2022, to be presented in Monaco this Sunday, November 20.
Fijian 7s rover Kaminieli Rasaku’s nomination for the World Rugby 7s Player of the Year award is no surprise.
Although he was dropped out of the Tokyo Olympic Games squad early this year he did not want that to deter his dream to represent Fiji in sevens at the Dubai sevens which was to be his first HSBC Sevens series outing.
The Navunimono, Verata, Tailevu native’s first represented Fiji at the Oceania 7s in June, two weeks before the Tokyo Games then the Melrose Cup at Cape Town South Africa this year.
Rasaku has been part of Gareth Baber’s sevens extended squad since 2019 after a star performance for Uluinakau at the 2019 Coral Coast 7s.
He had attended Nasinu Secondary School before he continued at the Lelean Memorial School rugby academy under Seremaia Bai.
Rasaku, Ireland’s Terry Kennedy along with Australia’s Nick Malouf and Corey Toole are the four names released by World Rugby on Monday for the award.
He’s the third Fiji 7s player that’ll be vying for the award as Samisoni Viriviri won in 2014 and Jerry Tuwai in 2019.
Also nominated for an award is Fijiana speedster Vitalina Naikore.
The Nadivakarua, Kubulau, Bua lass is one of World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee.
She joins Maud Muir of England, New Zealand’s Ruby Tui and Maia Roos.
Naikore had a great season with the Fijiana Drua in Super W scoring a hat trick in the final where they won 32-26. She was also named the Player of the Championship.
The skilful wing also played football; she then moved to Suva to join the Fijiana squad.
Naikore scored 40 points as Fiji won the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship in July and last month she played wing in the Fijianas’ Rugby World Cup debut in
Auckland.
The nominees were selected by the star-studded World Rugby Awards panels, nominees in nine categories that will be announced throughout the day on World Rugby social media channels (@ WorldRugby) and the World Rugby Media Zone.
The other categories to be awarded on Sunday are the World Rugby Referee Award, World Rugby Coach of the Year, Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service and the popular World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Dream Teams of the Year in partnership with Capgemini.
Fans can cast their vote on social media and select their winners for the two International Rugby Players Men’s and Women’s Try of the Year categories until tomorrow, Thursday, November 17 at 23:59 (GMT).