Rugby league mission
14 LOCAL PLAYERS NAMED IN FIJI BATI EXTENDED SQUAD
FIJI National Rugby League acting chief executive officer Don Natabe said it was a source of pride to see 14 Fiji Resident players rubbing shoulders with their overseas-based brothers in vying for a spot in the Fiji Bati team for the Rugby League World Cup.
Natabe yesterday announced the names of the 14 local players who have made the Vodafone Fiji Bati extended squad.
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup will be held in England and competition will run from October to November.
Australia is the defending champion and the side defeated the Fiji Bati 54-6 in the semi-final of the 2017 RLWC in Australia.
DURING the drizzling rain on the morning of Saturday last week, despite the cold conditions and the mist, national squad members Suliano Volivoli and Terio Tamani accompanied fellow policemen on a foot patrol assignment along the Nasese area.
The duo were assigned to look after the area during Tropical Cyclone Yasa last week as part of Operation Yadrayadravaki in the Capital City.
The duo’s relationship has come a long way and for them it’s now a tradition that they build to be by each other’s side that will last forever.
What brought the two together was their love for rugby and the sport has built a strong bond that they call each other brothers.
Volivoli, from Serua, is the elder while Tamani, from Kadavu, is the small brother. The duo started playing together for the Lomaiviti Rugby Club.
They switched club and joined the Tabadamu, founded by the late Leo Naikasau Sr.
While with the club, they claimed the Marist 7s tournament for four consecutive years — 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Volivoli was captain of the team.
Two of those victories saw Tamani being nominated player of the tournament while Volivoli claimed the best player in 2018.
Last year Volivoli jumped ship and captained the winning Police 7s team that claimed the Coral Coast 7s.
This year Tamani joined him and was instrumental in the side’s win during the 2020 FMF Sukuna Bowl.
Volivoli said every success would be determined by how they walk the extra yard in trying to achieve their goal.
“You have to discipline yourself while in the force,” he said.
“When it’s time to work, go to work. You find your own time to go to the gym and train.
“Having someone like Teri gives me the courage to work hard because he is just a small man but big in heart and he tackles hard too.
“He is a match winner and that is something I admire about him.
“For now I am teaching him how to live the way a policeman should carry out his job because I have been here for some time.
“He just joined this week (last week), it was not bad for the past days seeing him carry out his duties.”
Volivoli said time would come for them to hang their boots but they were thankful to the Police Force for giving them the opportunity to be part of serving the people they always represented on the rugby field.
“I was happy to see my small bro (Tamani) eager to join me in the force.
“We really adjusted to the climate because it’s how our clubs and the national team taught us while on duty.
While Tamani is from Kadavu and Volivoli is from Serua, the bond the two made in rugby brought them together like real brothers.
“I always look up to Suli as he is older than me,” Tamani said.
“If one changes club we both join the same as for us our bond makes us play stronger for each other in the rugby field.
“When I joined the Fiji 7s team I know big brother (Suli) will follow suit because we have been working so hard.
“Suli had been an inspiration to me because he hardly talk but his actions will tell you the type of man he is.
“I went for a contract in Australia and when I came back Suli was still playing rugby and never lost hope of making it to the big stage.
“It will be a tough battle for players vying for the halfback position in the Fiji 7s team to the Olympic Games.”
The Ravitaki, Kadavu man said disciplined and hard work was the key.
Tamani, who got his first big assignment this week, said he was honoured to serve the people apart from playing for the people during the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Volivoli said serving people was not a work nor a choice for him but a call to serve.
“It’s an oath we took to serve the people,” Volivoli said.
Having someone like Teri gives me the courage to work hard because he is just a small man but big in heart and he tackles hard too – Suliano Volivoli