Prop Doge chooses Fijian jersey over lucrative offers
The pride of donning the Fijian rugby jersey supersedes any lucrative offer says Flying Fijians prop Mesake Doge. Standing 1.8 metres and bulky 29-year-old from Bulu, Nadogo in Macuata is one of the most exposed players in the Swire Shipping Drua team for the 2023 Super Rugby season. The former Queen Victoria School student has won four national caps, following his debut in 2016 against Georgia in Suva. Spending most of his early days playing overseas, he played for Brive in the French Top 14 competition in 2019/2020, along with Flying Fijians number 8 Kitione Kamikamica and Peniami Narisia; he was with the Dragons for the 21/22 season
Doge played for Timisoara Saracens in Romania between 2017 and 2019, where he made 27 appearances and scored three tries. He indicated despite the lucrative offers he chose to come home after six years.
“It was one of the toughest decisions for me to join the Fijian Drua side when comparing the amount of money you can earn overseas,” he said.
“Then in your heart, your homeland has a special place. I have been following Pacific Super Rugby closely and was excited about how Fiji was faring. “I believe Super Rugby is one of the toughest rugby competitions on the planet.
“One of my goals is to invest in a farm here in Fiji and run a business that will help me and my family after rugby.
“I believe that can all happen when I’m here to be close home makes things easy.
“Coming back home and to touch base is a breath of fresh air; it is great help.
Rugby journey
“I think what I bring to the Drua is experience and my age indicates that I’ve been playing for a while.
“While preparing for next year’s World Cup there’s no better competition than Super Rugby to help me prepare well.
“The European club competition and game structure are very different compared to here, over there it’s more of a business side of things rather than being passionate for the team we play for.
“It’s about four years now that I’ve been missing out on the national side selection criteria.
“I was part of the 2015 World Cup team and Flying Fijians in 2016.
“After that I missed the 2019 World Cup it was unfortunate and tough for me.
“Next year is a very important year for me, time and while tide waits for no man, I am going to try my best to be part of the World
Cup team.
“It’s going to be a new experience playing in the World Cup as rugby has developed and changed big time.”
Doge has played 14 matches for the Dragons where he started in eight games and scored four tries.
He was part of the QVS team that won the inaugural Under-18 Deans trophy in 2011 that beat Ratu Navula College, 19-13 in the final. After QVS Doge played for Ra before playing for Vatukoula and Tailevu.
He also played numerous times for Naitasiri before leaving to Romania in 2017.
Doge is now in camp with the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua team at their new Nadi home base.