Editorial: Amazing Five Months Of Rugby Success, Future Looks Bright
What we have achieved in rugby in the past five months will be hard to surpass.
Rugby’s biggest sporting prize, the William Webb-Ellis Cup, could not have arrived in the country at a better time.
It is in Fiji as part of the Rugby World Cup 2019 Trophy Tour before Japan hosts the rugby spectacle from September 20 to November 2.
It is timely that the ultimate prize, contested fearlessly by rugby nations every four years, is in the country at a time when we are celebrating success.
It would be hard to compare what we have achieved in the first five months of 2018. We achieved so much in a short time that we made the world take notice.
Who would have thought that one day a school in Fiji would win the Sanix World Youth Rugby Tournament in Japan? We did!
Three weeks ago the Under-18 Ratu Kadavulevu School rugby team became the best U18 team in the world beating Hastings Boys High School from New Zealand 35-5 in the final.
It is therefore fitting that the Webb-Ellis Cup was taken down to Delainakaikai to coincide with the school celebrating sporting excellence yesterday.
Who would have thought that one day one of our Fiji Airways Flying Fijian player would win the European Player of the Year Award. We did!
A fortnight ago Flying Fijian and Racing 92 lock forward, Leone Nakarawa, became the first Fijian to be voted the best rugby player in Europe.
And who would have thought one day a Fijian would win the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year Award. We did!
Last week, Fiji Airways Flying Fijian centre Vereniki Goneva was voted the best out of all the players playing top 12 clubs in England.
Last month we achieved so much with our Fiji Airways Fijians 7s team leading the World Sevens Series after winning the Singapore 7s.
They also set a new record winning four tournaments – Hamilton, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore.
We have a good a chance of winning the World Sevens Series next month in the last two legs in London and Paris. But the big news next month is whether Fiji will be hosting a leg of the World Sevens Series in 2020 in Nadi.
And next month the Fiji Airways Flying Fijians will play three tests against Samoa, Georgia and Tonga. But what we achieved in the past five months would be hard to surpass.
Our national sport is in for a bright future and we can only thank those who make it happen and make our country proud.
Feedback: oseab@fijisun.com.fj
