It was a moment Tukiriyawa Senikarivi will forever cherish, watching his daughter and Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua women halfback Evivi Senikarivi for the first time yesterday.
Senikarivi has only watched his daughter represent their family name and the country in Super W through his TV screen but for the first time yesterday, he was able to watch her in person.
He couldn’t hold back his tears as he proudly shared his daughter’s story.
“I’ve only watched Evivi on television but this week I tried my best to come and watch her in person,” he said with tears in his eyes.
“When Evivi left Kadavu, I told her not to come back until she achieves her dream. I said it with all the goodness in my heart because I wanted the best for her.
“We all know there’s a lot of temptation in the village, there’s a lot of peer pressure, so I advised her to come to Suva and make a living for herself.”
The Qalira villager from Nabukelevu did just that but she did so with discretion.
“In 2019, Evivi was studying at the Fiji Maritime Academy in Suva, well at least that’s what we thought,” her proud mother, Sainiana Tokalaulevu shared.
“Little did we know that all the money we sent for her education was directed to rugby. We only found out she was playing rugby when she called to ask for $200 for her passport.
“We did not dream of it, we did not expect it but we thank God for his calling in Evivi’s life. We had our plans but God knows our future and this is what he planned for Evivi, we are proud.”
Evivi Senikarivi’s family travelled by boat from Kadavu to Suva on Wednesday. They were at the grounds an hour before the match started, seated comfortably at the concrete embankment in their Drua T-shirts and umbrellas.
