Big wraps for Waisega

SERUVAKULA NAMES NETHERLANDS-BASED PLAYER

SULITA Waisega may be unknown to many but the Netherlands-based player has big wraps on her for being a talented rugby player. More so that she has forced her way into the Fijiana 15s side without playing a single rugby match in Fiji.

Waisega is one of 18 new players in the Fijiana that will compete in the Oceania Championship in New Zealand next month.

According to media reports, she moved to the Netherlands with her parents as a young child.

While naming his final 28 players on Wednesday, Fijiana head coach Senirusi Seruvakula had high praises for the 18-year-old loose forward.

“She has been sending her videos and training very hard in the Netherlands,” Seruvakula said.

“She’s been playing under-18 rugby with men because there is no competition for females in the Netherlands. So she plays number 8 and in a men’s competition.

“She’s a really talented player and has been adapting well with the other girls in camp.”

Waisega plays for the Haagsche Rugby Club in Amsterdam. The club wrote on its website how proud it was of her recent achievement.

“It was already known that she is a player of exceptional class; rarely was a girl as a 2nd year Junior (U16) dispensed upwards to play with the Colts (U18) and with her ball handling (Fiji offloads) among other things, she stood out,” the club wrote.

“It was therefore certain that she could go very far. But for the coaches of the Fiji women’s national team – within hours of seeing video footage of her – to ask how fast she could get on the plane is unprecedented!”

Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer John O’Connor said Waisega showed a lot of commitment towards wanting to play for her country of birth.

“Her commitment to represent

Fiji is high - she paid her own way right from the Netherlands to come and join the team and we’re giving her that opportunity,” O’Connor said.

“It’s up to her whether she takes that opportunity. But a very talented young player like Senirusi said.”

The Oceania Championship will be held on July 9-19. Fiji will play against Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Samoa in a round-robin competition. The Fijiana fly to Auckland on July 6.