Women In Sports: Rugby Empowers Vela Naucukidi

It is a dream come true for Fiji Rugby Union’s women develop­ment manager Vela Naucukidi to be one of the 14 recipients of the 2019 World Rugby executive leader­ship scholarship.

The Lovoni, Ovalau native started her career as a rugby writer with Teivovo magazine where she was involved in the starting up of wom­en’s rugby in the country before joining FRU.

The mother of two children has played an integral part in the devel­opment of women’s participation in rugby and hopes to develop a healthy culture for Women’s Rugby in Fiji.

Naucukidi shares her achieve­ments, challenges and experiences over the years.

• SUN: What’s your current posi­tion?

VELA: FRU women’s development manager

SUN: How long have you been in this position?

VELA: Started at Fiji Rugby Union in 2015

SUN: Can you give me a brief over­view of what it is you do in your work?

VELA: I assist in the development and delivery of recruitment and re­tention strategies for the women’s rugby and also look for partnership and strengthen relationships with current stakeholders of the game.

• SUN: What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?

VELA: Seeing that all the hard­work pays off.

SUN: What are you most excited or passionate about?

VELA: Connecting with people, im­pacting lives for the better through what I do.

SUN: What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your work? VELA: Lead my sport like it’s never been led before.

• SUN: What were you doing previ­ously?

VELA: Was a rugby writer for Teivovo Magazine for 10 years. I learned so much from Jeremy Duxbury, who was my boss then. Learnt writing, photography, sales/marketing, accounts, strategizing and time management.

SUN: Give a brief on your sporting career.

VELA: I played rugby but because of my love for the sport I wanted to offer more, resulting in being the president of the Fiji Women’s Rugby Union.

• SUN: Where did you grow up? Countries that you have been to do­ing work and what was that like? VELA: Spent most of my childhood in Levuka. First overseas trip was to cover the 2000 Malaysia 7s in Kuala Lumpur for Teivovo Maga­zine and World Rugby. I was super nervous that I screwed up the fi­nal score of the final, sending the wrong scores back home and World Rugby. I was lucky it was up on the website for an hour I think. From then on, I made sure to not make the same mistake again, even for the local games. I was in Australia for the 2003 World Cup as a journal­ist. Spent a few weeks in Samoa and Tonga to do research on all the Fiji Test games hosted in Nuku’alofa and Apia. I’ve also travelled with the Fijiana team both 15s and 7s and the Fiji U18s women’s as the team manager. Visited a lot of country, yes like Australia, the US, Baha­mas, New Caledonia, Hong Kong. In 2017 I was in Belfast, North Ire­land for the World Rugby Women’s Leadership Conference.

I’ve learnt so much from other nations/teams and have adopted some of their best practices as well, but still room to learn more.

• SUN: Did you have any key men­tors or people who deeply influenced who you are, what you believe in and what you’re committed to in your work and life?

VELA: My parents. They are very hardworking and so committed to what they do and that shaped my personal life. Jeremy Duxbury my former boss at Teivovo Magazine helped me in my career. He’s got a very good work ethic and is so pas­sionate about Fiji rugby. Jeremy guided me on how to balance my life as a journalist, president of women’s rugby and a mother. Sale Sorovaki whose just been promoted to Operation Manager at Fiji Rugby Union pushed me take risks and is always there when I needed advice. I am so grateful to work under the leadership of CEO John O’Connor and chairman Francis Kean. It is through their leadership we’ve in­cluded women as one of the key pil­lars of Fiji Rugby Union Strategic Plan.

• SUN: Did you have any life-changing experiences and chal­lenges that put you on the path that led you to be doing what you’re do­ing today? VELA: I’ve been through so much, personally, I know what it feels like to be called names, to have nothing, to be abused, to lost a loved ones, and I will always thank God for those moments, it made me stronger and builds my character to be the best in what I do. Rugby became a place where I see the world differently, players I worked with who gone through something too; victims of abuse, chased out from homes and they want a place to express themselves, and rugby became their safe haven. This drives me each day to create that safe space for this young women coming through. A space they can be themselves, a space where they can gain their confidence, be em­powered and know their self worth.

Rugby empowers you to be the best you can be in whatever things you do, especially in a male domi­nated sport. When I started this journey, I had to perform, prove myself to be included. I remem­bered in 2009 AGM, I was the only female in the FRU AGM, fighting for women’s rugby. So I had to work harder and smarter. Rugby gives you the confidence to speak your mind. It taught me how to organize myself as a wife/mother, managing teams, and meeting deadlines for projects, reviewing, planning and strategizing programmes. It takes a lot of patience, perseverance and sacrifice. It’s not easy; at times I miss birthdays, school activities, because I am in another part of the world. So when I’m home I try my very best to make up for those lost times.

• SUN: As an active woman in­volved in sports previously and now, how do you see or analyze the role of women in sports specifically in Fiji and how important is it to encourage more woman taking up roles in vari­ous sporting federations?

VELA: I am so grateful to the president of Fiji Rugby Union, and i thank the Prime Minister, the chairman and CEO of Fiji Rugby. They’ve made women’s very im­portant to Fiji Rugby. Appointing a woman Director to the FRU board, Support all women’s development programmes so we can increase women’s participation; encourag­ing women to join rugby as coach­es, referee and administrators.

I would suggest that other sport­ing bodies include women in the board and also in decision-making roles. They bring in new ideas and are very passionate about what they do.

• SUN: When you think of the fu­ture of the kind of work you’ve talked about here, what gives you a sense of hope?

VELA: That God called me here for a purpose. When He called, He will provide, He will open doors and He gets the Glory.

• SUN: What’s next for you in your work? What are you looking forward to?

VELA: Develop a healthy culture for Women’s Rugby in Fiji. I look forward to more financial support into the women’s game and com­plete change of mind-set about women’s rugby.

Edited by Osea Bola

Feedback: grace.narayan@fijisun.com.fj