Leaders lead from the front while others or their subordinates look up to them for guidance. When they speak, the team listens if it is to achieve team goals together.

Leaders earn respect when they treat people as people and they are always the first to applaud players when they achieve success.

Rugby World Cup winning captains became legends and ambassadors of the game because they shed, blood and tears in order for the team to achieve success.

And in turn, as leaders of men, make their country proud to the envy of some in the four-yearly global showpiece.

One of the All Blacks special breed, New Zealand’s Richie McCaw, is the only player so far to lift the William Webb-Ellis Trophy twice (2011, 2015).

There are others who led their countries to success since the first RWC in 1987.

We have participated in all RWCs, except for 1995 in South Africa.

Our best performance was in 1987, led by Koli Rakoroi and the Mosese Rauluni-captained team in 2007 where we reached the RWC quarterfinals.

The Fiji Airways Flying Fijians are in a good space this year ahead of our first pool meeting with Australia at Sapporo Dome, Japan, on September 21 at 4.45 pm (Fiji Time).

Our performance in 2018 was a good platform to build on for the 2019 RWC.

We defended the 2018 Pacific Nations Cup under Akapusi Qera and the Europe Tour in November saw an upward trajectory for our men when we beat France 21-14 for the first time under new captain Dominiko Maiwiriwiri Waqaniburotu.

The Makadru, Matuku, Lau native commands respect from his fellow Flying Fijians because he always walks the talk, leads from the front, always in the thick of battle, talks little but when he speaks his teammates listen.

He has leadership qualities because he once captained the Flying Fijians at the 2010 Pacific Nations Cup soon after he made his debut against Australia.

Now in his seventh season for Brive playing in the Pro D2 competition in France, he earns praise from his coach Jeremy Davidson.

The former Irish international is tipping Waqaniburotu to help Brive win Top 14 promotion and Flying Fijians reaching the 2019 RWC quarterfinal.

Davidson highly respects Waqaniburotu for leading the Flying Fijians in their win over France.

For Brive, Davidson described the 32-year-old’s 43- cap Test veteran as a “tough guy, a leader of men, embodies authority, not by his words but by his actions”.

Even though he is not captain, he commands total respect when he speaks in the Brive dressing room.

Saïd Hireche, Waqaniburotu’s fellow back row player said; “He does not speak much but when he speaks, he is listened to. He’s a very hard worker. On the ground you do not see him all the time, but when you see him, he dominates.”

Our captain Waqaniburotu is ticking the right box- es ahead of the 2019 RWC.

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