Clarke hails Vidiri | Legacy lives on as Super Rugby match honours Fijian great

IN 1996, the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific competition had begun as the Super 12, as it set the foundation for what would become a new frontier of rugby in the future.

Fijians at home were devout fans of the teams strutting their stuff week in and week out, and in 1996, the Blues were in full force unravelling the sheer grit and might of winger Joeli Vidiri from within their ranks.

The Mosi, Nausori Highlands winger was an illuminating figure of power, a force of terror for those who were in his sights and paired with the late rugby great and Blues teammate Jonah Lomu, an enigma for their opponents on the field.

In his 64 appearances for the Blues from 1996 to 2001, he scored 235 points in ways that defied logic and yet affirmed the true spirit of Fijian flair and talent.

Towering over most at a height of 6 ft 3 in (190 cm), he was a player whose height coupled with brilliance of manoeuvring past opposing players made him become a revered figure in the game, and the shining star of the Blues that had its fans chanting “Give me hope Joeli” during home games at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

And one former player who had the chance to play alongside him and Lomu was Eroni Clarke.

Clarke made 48 appearances for the Blues from 1996-2000 and was part of the Blues when it won the 1996 and 1997 Super 12 titles.

Times Sport spoke to the former Blues and All Blacks player during the launch of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific competition in Auckland, New Zealand last month on his experience of working with the late Prince of Wings.

Acknowledging greatness

“I think that’s the most wonderful thing, to be able to acknowledge greatness and to acknowledge Joeli in that way with the (Fijian) Drua and with the Blues playing at Eden Park.”

These were Clarke’s sentiments when asked what he thought of the late Vidiri being commemorated with a trophy named after him and played in his honour by the Drua and the Blues this Saturday.

“It’s going to be wonderful and it’s important to really acknowledge some of our wonderful legends and to also acknowledge the contribution he’s made to the game, to the club and the fact that the Drua and the Blues are really close because that’s who he is,” he added.

The Joeli Vidiri Memorial Trophy

On Saturday, at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, the late Joeli Vidiri will be honoured with a trophy named in his honour that will be contested by the Fijian Drua and the Blues.

It’s a move that honours the late rugby great who donned the Flying Fijians and All Blacks jerseys and whose contribution to the Blues cemented him in the annals of rugby history as a force to be reckoned with.

In a statement, the Blues stated the trophy is a tribute to a player whose impact transcended boundaries.

“Vidiri, remembered for his powerful running, humility and infectious joy, made an indelible mark during his time in Auckland while remaining deeply connected to his Fijian roots,” the Blues mentioned.

Clarke’s fond memories

It may be termed a full-circle moment for the late Joeli Vidiri and his family when he will be honoured at Eden Park on Saturday, while for former teammate Clarke, it’s a trip down memory lane when he witnessed the ferocity unleashed by Vidiri when he paired with the late rugby great Jonah Lomu.

“Playing together with someone like Joeli Vidiri, it’s like you have a gift: you have this special talent, you have this person that has special abilities,” Clarke spoke of Vidiri.

Their prowess and depth were vital to Clarke’s role as a centre, as he needed them near to ensure his role on the field was played to its fullest extent.

“For me, as a centre, depending on how good your wingers are, you had to work really hard but having Jonah (Lomu) and Joeli (Vidiri) outside, wow, I don’t have to put them into space, I just gave them the ball and they make the space and they run around people.

“They run over people and especially someone like Joeli. He was probably one of the most quickest, and we’ve had some quick Fijian brothers that have been playing this game and throughout Super Rugby, but Joeli would be one of the quickest that I’ve ever seen on a rugby field playing together in my life.”

For Clarke, he remembers Vidiri as man who embodied joy and his camaraderie was a welcoming one.

“And it was very special and of course, the joy he brought, the camaraderie that he brought, the life he brought as well was so amazing and it brought so many lighter moments in some of the challenging times that we went through as a rugby team.”

A life lived, loved and cherished

Clarke, Vidiri, Lomu and their Blues teammates were part of an era in All Blacks history where the Pasifika influences in the side were part of the team’s drive forward into a modern chapter for New Zealand rugby.

Vidiri passed away in the United States on February 23, 2022 in Sacramento, California. He was diagnosed with glomerular nephritis in October 2001 and had undergone a kidney transplant in May 2015.

His funeral was held on March 18, 2022, at the Pukekohe Rugby Football Club ground where he and former Fiji rugby lock and Blues player Apenisa Naevo started out before being selected to play for the Counties and the Blues.

Saturday’s clash

The Fijian Drua and the Blues meet for the first time in this season of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific competition in the seventh round.

The Drua hope to earn their first away win against a formidable Blues team, who have beaten the Drua in each meeting since they started in Super Rugby in 2022.

The match kicks off at 6pm Fiji time.

Auckland Blues winger Joeli Vidiri beats Natal Sharks fullback Andre Joubert during his side’s Super 12 game on May 11, 1996 at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa. Picture: REUTERS/STUFF

Joeli Vidiri (right) and Apisai Naevo (far left) were chief guests during a fundraising of the Vunidakua church circuit at Cunningham in Suva on December 12, 1998 where they gave more than $5000. Picture: FILE