Tanivula: How Fair Is That?
Ex-Natabua High School colourful sportsman, Iliesa Tanivula, feels for the deserving Under-18 rugby players who have trained hard and prepared well to get into this year’s Vodafone Super Deans final.
“I couldn’t get it around my head as to how those who are organising the secondary schools’ rugby competition can allow this to happen,” Tanivula said from Nadi yesterday.
“Just when there is this opportunity for the deserving players to appear in the finals for their schools they leave for a schoolboys’ tour.
“The two finalists, Marist Brothers High School and Suva Grammar School, are going to be without keys players; how fair is that?
“Due to poor planning instrumental players miss out on the much anticipated Deans final opportunity, how can someone allow this to happen?”
Tanivula is referring to the national school boys who flew to New Zealand on Monday night for a three-match tour.
Nine schools are represented in the 27-member side, coached by Masi Saqanavere.
Four of those on tour are from SGS and two from MBHS. The rest are from Natabua High School, Ba Provincial High School, Nasinu Secondary School, Ratu Navula College, William Cross College, Cuvu College and Ratu Kadavulevu School.
“Suva Grammar is going to miss their instrumental player Philip Baselala, Grammar has worked hard to get to the final,” Tanivula said.
The other three are first five Sikeli Rabitu, fullback Sairusi Masi and Jovesa O’Connor. MBHS is going to be without first choice tighthead prop Izzy Hesaia, while loosie Peter Rinakama has pulled out of the Fijian U18 squad because of injury.
Reflecting on Natabua’s loss to SGS in last Saturday’s semifinal Tanivula said, “We lost a few of our lineouts which we could have better utilised.”
Tanivula, a commendable Lone Cap is a former school sprint champion, carved his name on the Fijian and New Zealand rugby books as an unstoppable wing.
Coaching Nadi, national sevens team, Fijiana women and Yasawa apart from voluntary training and coaching stints have been keeping the Namotomoto rugger occupied the last 15 years.
His overview of last Saturday’s semi-finals Tanivula said MBHS was kicking away too much of which had they kept or recycled could have given them more points on the board.
“May the be best team win; hopefully they also engage the top referee or a better one from overseas to control the final,” he said.
“Someone must take the responsibility in controlling the final; players have done their part to reach the pinnacle of the competition.
They deserve to have a good ref to control the final.”
Tanivula will be at Lautoka’s Churchill Park on Saturday to support the Natabua U18 schoolgirls in the Weet-Bix Raluve final against neighbours Jasper Williams High School.
Story by: karalaini.waqanidrola@fijisun.com.fj
