THE BIRTH OF MELROSE HALL
Village names community hall after famous 7s win
TO say that sevens rugby is the heartbeat of our little island nation would be an understatement of gigantic proportions.
The way Fijians hold rugby sevens stars in awe is unparalleled.
And the reason why these on-field warriors have earned this worship becomes all the more clear in the replays of favourite games on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
The jaw-dropping sidestepping and unearthly passing skills of the players have resulted in players such as William Ryder being called “twinkle toes” and Waisale Serevi being called “the Maestro” and “the Wizard”.
And if holding players in such high esteem wasn’t enough, some villagers even took to naming key structures after rugby-related success stories.
When Fiji claimed the holy grail of sevens rugby, the Melrose Cup in Hong Kong in 2005 by edging New Zealand 29-19, villagers of Naqalotu in the district of Yawe on Kadavu named their community centre, Melrose Hall.
Naqalotu native Wiliame Jale said the story behind the naming of the village hall was still fresh in his mind.
The 86-year-old said he still had vivid recollections because his late brother was the carpenter who built it.
Mr Jale said back in 2005, most families in the village did not own a television set so the villagers gathered in numbers at a home which had a TV and cheered the team on.
He said people were crammed like sardines inside the house and were pushed up against windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the dazzling display by the Fijian boys.
Mr Jale said daily chores and tasks were put on hold the week of the rugby sevens world cup.
He said the name on every one’s lips was Waisale Serevi.
Mr Jale said scooping the sevens rugby world cup that year was a game he would always remember because Serevi had scored the winning try and sealed the deal for Fiji.
He said the Wayne Pivac-coached side was the toast of the Pacific because Fiji was the first team to lift the Melrose Cup twice.
Mr Jale said the atmosphere in the village was electric when Fiji played New Zealand and when the final whistle blew, everyone was on their feet that night screaming and dancing until the early hours of the following morning.
Amid the furore, the villagers who were also working to complete the new hall decided it would be named after the Melrose Cup.
Apart from it being named after the famous 2005 victory at So Kon Po, the Naqalotu Village hall is unique because of its interior decor.
Mr Jale said the hall was adorned with drawings which had deep meanings and symbols.
He said the drawings were done by a boy from the village who was very artistic and only emphasised three things — the importance of the church, family and the village.
Mr Jale said the importance of placing God ahead of everything else in their lives was a priority for his people and this was also evident whenever the Fiji sevens team players prepared for a tussle or scored a try.
Mr Jale said the naming of the village hall was also a proud declaration of how a tiny island nation with limited resources always managed to churn out superstars every year. The village of Naqalotu has 40 households and more than 100 villagers.