Tears flowed freely when the casket of fallen rugby star Seru Rabeni arrived at his Koronivia home in Nausori, last night.

Fighting hard to hold back his emotions, former Flying Fijian vice-captain Kele Leawere said Rabeni was the man they always look up to when the going got tough.

“We always call him Blackie and he was a very outstanding player and if you watched the game against Wales at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, you would see what he could do to a team,” he said.

“Blackie could change a game the way it’s going and he was one that we always looked up to in the backline. All we had to do was get the ball to Blackie and he would create something out of nothing.”

Leawere indicated that Rabeni was one player that everyone would bank on because of the presence he brought to the team and the hard work he puts in.

“Off the field he is always talking to the backs and helping them out. We have known each other for a long time and to him the Fijian jersey was more important than anything else. When we beat Wales 38-34 to qualify for the quarterfinals, Blackie was again out there doing his best for Fiji.”

The Navosa native said they have many fond memories of Rabeni.

“At one time we called him 110 because he always believes in giving 110 percent and not 100. This was during our training at Lawaqa Park and he was calling out for us to give our 110 percent because 100 doesn’t mean anything to him.”

Leawere said he found it hard to believe when former national rugby hooker Bill Gadolo broke the news of Rabeni’s death to him.

“Why so soon? It’s sad I just want to say rest in peace my brother maybe one day we will play rugby with him in heaven.”

Rabeni’s funeral service is going to be held at 9am today at the AOG Central Christian Church in Nausori before he is laid to rest at the Nasinu cemetery.

Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

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