Flying Fijians Feel At Home With French Crowd
“There are a lot of Fijians playing rugby here in France at all levels; that means a lot to us knowing they are behind us and also their clubs and friends,” Tagitagivalu said.
Wednesday 20 September 2023 | 14:59
Flying Fijian Lekima Tagitagivalu looks on after their Rugby World Cup 22 - 15 win over Australia.
It was like a home game for the Flying Fijians at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France, who were backed by a vocal French crowd on Monday morning (Fiji time).
These were sentiments shared by flanker Lekima Tagitagivalu after they defeated the Wallabies 22-15 in their second Rugby World Cup Pool C match.
“There are a lot of Fijians playing rugby here in France at all levels; that means a lot to us knowing they are behind us and also their clubs and friends,” Tagitagivalu said.
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“I’m really proud of the boys for what we have achieved, it is another history.”
France-based players in the Flying Fijians side include captain Waisea Nayacalevu, Jiuta Wainiqolo, Levani Botia and Sireli Maqala.
“It was a tough game, I’m really proud of the boys of playing the whole 80 minutes.
“It means a lot."
Fiji will take on Georgia and Portugal respectively in their last two matches for Pool C.
“We won’t take any team lightly, because they have been preparing well for this World Cup,” Tagitagivalu said.
“We’ll take each game at a time, learn from our mistakes and move on to next week. I would to dedicate this to our families in Fiji and around the world.
“To the fans who have been messaging, we have been receiving all their videos, mostly our families.”
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