Fijian rugby league pioneer mourned
THERE were times when Amen Gutugutuwai slept in the dirt and caught birds and bats for sustenance, but he rose to become one of Queensland’s great multicultural pioneers.
Born Ratu Amenatave Gutugutuwai in Nakalaseka in 1947, the six-time Fijian representative was recruited to Australia in 1969 to play rugby league for Brisbane’s Southern Suburbs Magpies.
Gutugutuwai was among the first South Pacific Islanders to play the sport in Australia, but he also helped to pave the way for migrants of various backgrounds.
“Dad helped sponsor kids who wanted to come to Australia to study at university, not just become athletes,” son Billy Gutugutuwai said.
“He would put deposits down for their visas and act as guarantor.
“Dad was someone who would give up a lot and not expect much in return.
“He would always make sure you were taken care of before he thought of himself.”
‘A man who had nothing’
Gutugutuwai was raised with few luxuries.
His father served in the Fijian arm of the Special Air Service (SAS) and died at a young age. During his childhood, Gutugutuwai sometimes slept outside and resorted to hunting wild animals for food.
“Rugby league was absolutely transformative for him,” daughter Liza Carter said.
“The opportunities it gave to a man who had nothing were amazing, in retrospect.
“Beyond that, the way it has welcomed and provided for us, his children, has been truly humbling.”
Refusing to be denied
In rugby league folklore, Gutugutuwai’s name is inextricably linked with countrymen such as Isoa Volavola, Asaeli Batibasaga and Moriteki Nabuta, who moved to Brisbane Souths at the same time.
Half a dozen Fijians were identified by Magpies recruitment officer Peter Edwards after they played a tour game in Goondiwindi in 1969, the same year Fiji won rugby union gold at the South Pacific Games.
Over the years Gutugutuwai forged personal connections with Melanesian superstars Mal Meninga, Petero Civoniceva and Lote Tuqiri. “We actually used to sneak Lote out of his house as a kid to play rugby league, because his parents wouldn’t let him,” Ms Carter said.
“Dad had a similar story of his own — originally, his parents didn’t want him playing rugby either.
“He ran away from tending the cassava patch to play rugby.
“When he was banned from playing, the whole club begged for him to return.”
Softly spoken, hard as nails
Another influential figure who knew Gutugutuwai well was former International Rugby League and Australian Rugby League chairman John Grant.
Grant played outside centre for Souths Magpies for several seasons at the same time Gutugutuwai played inside centre.
“He was softly spoken, but as hard as nails,” Grant said. “We really clicked.
“He was an exceptionally reliable footballer and that was embodied in the character of the man and the way he was respected within the Fijian community and the broader rugby league community.
“I was fortunate that I became involved in the Fijian community from the time Amen and the others landed, and I would go to a lot of the events and family gatherings they had, which featured plenty of music and very good times.
“Amen’s impression on me was significant.”
Leadership and diversity
Last year the National Rugby League (NRL) reported 45 per cent of its players were of Pacific Island descent.
Grant said the decision of Brisbane Souths to recruit Gutugutuwai and his compatriots was one of the turning points in Australian sports history.
“It was hugely significant and now rugby league attracts the stars from the Pacific and has become much better for it,” Grant said.
“It was breakthrough stuff. “It was something that had not even been considered before.
“Crowds that year were phenomenal.
“I think the public response validated and encouraged a more inclusive society.
“Objections to immigration began to disappear.
“It’s an example of what can occur when leadership and diversity occur through sport.”
Saying goodbye to a legend After rapidly spreading prostate cancer added to his previous health battles, the long-time Logan resident passed away on January 3.
Gutugutuwai was a father of six and had five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Among his children was the late Janice Gutugutuwai, a popular employee of Queensland Rugby League who was remembered as “a truly beautiful person” when she succumbed to cancer in 2014.
Amen Gutugutuwai’s funeral was held on Friday, January 12, at Souths Magpies Leagues Club in Brisbane’s West End, close to Bank Street, his first home in Australia.
The funeral was preceded by two evenings of reguregu, which is a Fijian custom where friends and extended family members pay their respects at the home of the grieving family. About 650 people paid their respects to Amen during those two days alone.