Tela inspires youths
FIJIAN Drua playmaker Teti Tela plays his first Super Rugby match in Fiji today not knowing that he has inspired a group of young men who had not competed at top level rugby in their lives.
The youths are from Baba Settlement at Levuka, Ovalau — a weightligting-oriented part of the Old Capital.
They have revived the Yalovata Rugby Club which hosted its first Fiji Bitter-sponsored 7s tournament at Nasau Park last weekend.
Some of the youths played rugby for the first time last weekend and one of the reasons for the revival, club executive Isoa Lala said, was because of the influence Tela and his family had in the club.
“His father Jiofiliti, who wortked for Fiji Electricity Authority (now Energy Fiji Ltd) was among the pioneers of our club together with the former Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu when it started in the early 1990s,” Lala said.
“The club was formed by Jone Biaukula (late), who was in charge of Levuka Police Station at that time to try and keep Baba youths away from criminal activities.
“Youths of our settlement were always blamed for crimes happening at Levuka Town. In order to keep our youths from being involved in criminal activities, Biaukula formed the club which was originally called Combine Service because it had civil servants and Baba youths.
“The club died a few years later when Biaukula was transferred from Ovalau. It was revived in 2000 and broke up again until we came in as Yalovata Rugby Club because our settlement comprises of people from around the region such as Solomon Islanders, Nauru, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Rabi and others.
“We live in harmony and work together closely. We live in rocky hills overlooking Levuka and on Saturday (today) we will go to houses near the peak of the mountains where they have good television and internet reception to watch the Fijian Drua v Highlanders match.
“We will cheer for Tela because his family was part of the formation of our club.”
The match starts at 4.35pm.