I read with great interest the report by Maciu in yesterday’s paper titled A brother’s wish.
Thank you Maciu for the inspirational and heart touching piece cuddled with love and emotions as Mesulame Kunavula prepares to put his body on the line to fulfil the dying wish of his brother.
Mesu was praised by Gareth for his work rate, discipline and defence and this young Stallion was part of the Fiji Babaas team that won the Chile leg of the Sudamerica 7s tournament.
Although Kunavula is not part of Gareth’s 12-member squad, he needs to be psyched up in case an injury pops up.
While recalling his brother’s last words, Kunavula added that his brother challenged him to fight for a spot to Wellington and to play hard and be the first from their family to represent the country in 7s.
Kunavula has an interesting background. He did not complete his high school but resorted to the farm to help his dad.
But I am confident that this soft spoken Nadroga lad will soon land himself a lucrative deal, which will allow him to help his family back at home.
Kunavula’s story should be an eye-opener to those who are thinking of donning the white jumper in 7s or 15s.
There is no substitute for hard work and determination and if the heart is willing then the mind will be ready to accept challenges.
Fiji has a pool of talented rugby players. These young minds need to be mentally, physically and spiritually nurtured so that they make good decisions and choose the right pathway.
The death of his brother inspired Kunavula. There may be more out there who are playing for a loved one.
As I conclude, I thank Mesu’s parents for his life and for teaching this young man to value blood ties and be humble and respectful.
I wish Kunavula all the best in his sporting career and I thank Maciu and Baljeet for all the stories and colourful pictures from Wellington.
