After surviving the cold weather during Fiji’s opening Rugby League World Cup match against Australia in Leeds on Saturday, I’ve been told to expect the worse.
This is when the team heads further north of London and into Newcastle for their match against Italy this week.
The weather on Saturday was 9 degrees Celsius and I wasn’t the only one chucking my hands in my jacket pockets, the locals could feel it too.
“It’s only going to get worse mate,” one of the local guards told me.Winter is coming and if you think this was bad, wait till you reach Newcastle!”
Newcastle is expected to have the temperature fall to 7 degrees Celsius over the next few days. Now that’s not very good for someone who was basking in the sun back home seven days earlier.
One thing I’ve learnt is that Fijians in the army here look out for their fellow countrymen.
Some of them have fed me, taken me into their homes, given me a lift and even kept me warm – most I am meeting for the first time.
To you men of service and your families, may you be blessed for your kind gestures. On to the Bati news, the squad shifted back into the team base at the Village Hall Hotel in Hull.
Today (Monday local time) the team will hit the training ground to brush off any niggling injuries.
They will do a community visitation also later in the day.
Second row forward Tevita Toloi joined the team camp in Hull on Sunday.
He has been called into the squad as an injury cover.
Until my next report, ni sa moce mada.
