From Wales to Ra
Legendary Flying Fijian lock returns to coach his province in the Vodafone Vanua
Wales based former Flying Fijian star lock forward and now a World Rugby Level 3 coach is in the country to coach the Ra rugby team in this year’s Vodafone Vanua Championship.
Emori Katalau, who was dubbed Sky Lab for his ability to win the lineout with ease played
47 Test matches with the Flying Fijians and partnered current Flying Fijians head coach Simon
Raiwalui at the
1999 Rugby World
Cup in France.
In the twilight of his sporting career, he played for Narberth in Wales and took up coaching as soon as he retired. He currently coaches two clubs in Wales.
Katalau, is in the country on a three-month vacation and is using the opportunity to give something back in the development of rugby in his province.
“It’s just something that I desire to coach my province because I played for Tailevu and Nausori (club) that has helped me along. It’s something to give back to my province,” Katalau told SUNsports yesterday. “I have goals to try to achieve (with Ra) this season, as we’ve gone through with our fitness tests. The trials were completed last Saturday. We’re trying to progress further in the Vodafone Vanua Championship as there’s only three games in the competition. Our plan is to camp and improve players’ performance with the awareness on how rugby is played these days,” he added.
Last Saturday during the trials, Katalau was working closely with former Nadroga and Naitasiri head coach Reverend Jioji Rinakama.
Ra Rugby secretary Jovesa Saqani said 50 players were selected from the trials at the Ra Sports and Ra High School grounds. “There’s been discussion with management that when the senior team travels for their games, a development team will be included as a feeder to the senior team,” Saqani said. For 10 years, Ra Rugby has been working on merging the four districts, Korotubu, Nalawa, Saivou and Rakiraki form a united Ra provincial team. “In our bose vanua, they wanted the Ra team to feature youths from Ra, especially from the four districts.”
Katalau plans to observe how rugby has progressed at provincial level and hopes to get players from Ra to play overseas. This, he said, was not for rugby but for their livelihood.
“Ra is a big province, players were coming from all over when the club games started. We can’t get the players together and finance is a bit of a challenge so I’m working with the committee and I thank them for pushing for things to be done for the Ra team,” he added.
Katalau says the players are to camp on Tuesday and Thursday, as the Vodafone Vanua Championship starts on July 8.
Vodafone Vanua Championship:
Round 1- July 8 (Host team first): Navosa v Lautoka at Vatureba; Malolo v Serua at Ratu Navula College, Nadi; Bua v Cakaudrove (Lekutu ground); Northland v Nanukuloa (Tailevu North), Nasinu v Ovalau at Marcellin); Rewa v Northern Bulls at Burebasaga; Vatukoula v Tavua at Theodore Park, Vatukoula; Ba v Ra at Ba Market ground.