Ba head coach Vilimoni Delasau shares an insight into his life since he stopped playing professional rugby in 2011.
The former Flying Fijian, who was a World Cup 7s winner in 2005 and starred on the world stage at RWC 2007, has been coaching his home province Ba since April this year and is now preparing for the team’s debut in the Skipper Cup.
When did you know it was time to stop playing?
When I started my rugby, my aim was to retire at age 35.
When I stopped, I was 34.
But it was hard for me, a real shock to the system.
I didn’t know what to do.
In my head, I really didn’t want to do anything when I retired.
My body had had it, I was so tired of rugby – in my body and my mind.
I played my last four seasons for Toulouse in France.
We had the Top 14, the Heineken Cup … playing week in, week out, and we were travelling a lot too.
They offered me a new contract, but I couldn’t go on.
The money was really good, but I couldn’t do it.
It was high level competition, you can’t bluff it.
It was either I do or don’t do it, nothing halfway, no hanging around.
My manager was saying ‘just take the deal’.
But I didn’t, and I’m happy I didn’t.
I’m happy that I stopped when I did and came home with no regrets.
What has your life been like since you stopped playing?
Right now, I’m enjoying my own space.
When I first came back, I moved to Nadi but the pace was too fast, so I moved to Ba Town but it was still the same; I needed my own space.
So, we’ve been here at the farm for seven years.
We start very early in the morning, about 4am; then after morning prayers we walk around the property or sometimes bike around, do our exercises then start looking after the animals … let them out, milk the cows, get them outside into the paddock.
Then after breakfast, it’s full on with the animals, getting them in the shade, giving them fresh water.
We grow ginger, lemons, coconuts, avocados, all we need.
We planted the coconut trees when we came here, and now we are reaping the rewards.
Lettuce from the garden, cabbage, eggplant, pineapples … we blend our own juices, every week we have a detox blend of green leaves – pawpaw, avocado.
Only a glass each as it’s quite bitter, but I know it’s good for my body.
We’ve been doing that since I retired, and I don’t get sick.
I’ve never been to hospital for any sickness.
I don’t take sugar either.
Breakfast and lunch are the main meals, then just a light dinner; and at 9 o’clock, it’s lights out.
We have TV but we don’t watch much.
It’s just me, my wife Siteri, and the boys who come to work – our neighbours who help on the farm and some of the boys stay here, they are like family.
Now Ba has reached the Skipper Cup for the first time in a generation, where does the union go from here?
We want to connect with the schools, and then become semi-professional.
Schools rugby to Ba Juniors, then to the Seniors.
We need to be helping to produce Flying Fijians and get them contracts overseas.
As for the Ba team, we want to be a contender for the Skipper Cup and the Farebrother.
We are starting from a long way back, so our plan is three to five years.
If we continue the way we are working, getting in the sponsors and the funding we need … then I hope we can be established as a major union in that time.
I believe what really helped Ba in last season’s Vanua Championship was the 7s boys in the backline.
We have lots of players here participating in club 7s.
At the last Nawaka 7s, there were six or seven club teams from Ba.
So, it’s a key component of our game that we must harness rather than ignore.
What challenges does Ba face now?
It’s a battle in itself just to bring the boys to training, they have to come down from the interior, the mountains.
There’s no simple solution.
We need the funding, maybe have some accommodation here in town for the boys to stay together where they can relax and do their own cooking.
We don’t have many qualified personnel – coaches, trainers, medics.
Last year, we had to look for players, but since the Tikina competition, we have lots of new players coming through and many more players who are interested in representing Ba – ones who were playing elsewhere before.
We are of course very grateful to Ba Industries, Vinod Patel, Rooster Chicken, Fiji Pine and the other sponsors for helping to kick things off – now we need more funding to boost us in the Skipper Cup.
And personally, your lifestyle seems to have changed a lot.
Yes, this is my life now.
I’m happy, I’m healthy.
The farm started as just a hobby and turned into a lifestyle.
I don’t enjoy travelling anymore – my body, my injuries, my shoulder operation, my back … I missed nine months of Super 12 action one season.
My body definitely doesn’t miss the rugby.
Now it’s all about helping the next generation of players.
