Long after the final whistle blew in the under-18 Deans semi-final between Ratu Kadavulevu School and Suva Grammar School, a group of volunteers from Tailevu North College took the initiative to help clean up the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
The gesture of civic pride warranted widespread public applause for their work in helping keep the stadium clean and ready for further competition.
Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union (FSSRU) vice-president Biu Colati shared they were part of a Green Team assembled to help officials maintain the cleanliness of match venues where competitions were held.
“They did a very marvellous job. According to (Fiji) Sports Council, they almost had no cleaning to be done, just the minor ones maybe in there but most of the cleanup was done by this school,” Colati said.
There were 40 students who were supervised by their teachers and also included members of the under-19 team that beat Ratu Navula College in their semi-final match at Buckhurst Park.
“They still came out in their jersey and boots, they came and started picking up rubbish as well so that’s how this team is operating and I think it’s a great lesson for others to learn from,” he mentioned.
He added for their service, they were provided access passes and lunch by the FSSRU and stated they were doing it out of their willingness to do so.
“They are just doing that for the sake of doing it and ensuring their support for the competition,” he mentioned.
He said the clean-up activity was supervised by their teachers, and they were provided with cleaning materials to help in their work.
Meanwhile, on the field, the Tailevu North team will meet Nasinu Secondary School in the final of the under-19 grade of the Deans competition this Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.