Nemani Nagusa will not give up playing for Fiji.

And after missing out on the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, the Rararua, Nadroga, native has set his target on playing at the 2023 RWC in France.

The former Fiji 7s captain/Fiji Airways Flying Fijians forward and now playing for the Newcastle Falcons in the Greene King Championship confirmed his intention from his London home yesterday.

“I’m in shape and in a good place. I’ll not give up and it will be a blessing if I make the Flying Fijians team again,” he said.

“Right now I’m focusing on playing for the Newcastle Falcons after the lockdown is lifted. In rugby, you can’t predict what will happen.”

The robust backrower believes new Flying Fijians coach Vern Cotter will lift the standard of rugby in Fiji.

“I haven’t met him but heard he is a good coach, experienced in the job,” he said.

“He will do a lot of good things for Fiji rugby. I believe he is going to do some wonderful things for our Flying Fijians team.”

Lockdown

Staying a Falcons faithful after they got demoted from Gallagher Premiership Rugby last season, Nagusa has been busy training at home during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“We are working on the training programme given to us by the club,” he said.

“The lockdown period has given me the golden opportunity to recover from injuries sustained during the season and a perfect time to get prepared when competition restarts.

“We have been promoted to Premiership Rugby and COVID-19 has shut down all efforts of training for us so we train from home. And there is no conformation on when is the lockdown period finishes.

“The lockdown has enabled me to have more family time so I get to spend more time with my kids.

“So I focus on my kids’ online studies and at the same time do my training.

“The club supports us a lot and the boys have a group on Facebook where we constantly keep in touch whenever we need help.

“They have set standards here so we have to work hard around those standards and make sure that we achieve our training goals.”

Edited by Osea Bola

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