Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua women’s player Siteri Rasolea believes her confidence and passion led her to make the significant decision to come home and be part of the squad.
The Naivucini, Naitasiri native had to make substantial sacrifices, including leaving her full-time job at the Bank of Queensland and turning down a tempting offer from the Queensland Reds, just to join the Fijian Drua side.
“I was given choices to either leave my family back in Brisbane and then move over here to take on rugby full time or I stay back, I have my full time job and play on the weekends for the Reds. So, I had to talk to my parents and my siblings, and my close friends who were my motivators back in Brisbane who trained with me to really make the decision and it had gotten close to the crunch.
“The Reds were making their final squad and the coach called and gave me two weeks and gave me a deadline to make my decision.
“Come the day I made my decision I told the coach, ‘I’m grateful for what the Reds have done for me for the past years but I chose to join Drua’ and straight after getting off the phone with him I called coach Male and told him. He was happy to hear my decision and said the hard work didn’t stop there, still needed to fight for my position but he was happy that I was able to make the decision to move over to the Drua this year,” Rasolea said.
Coming home was a dream come true for the prop.
“Coming back home is always a dream ever since I was growing up, I wanted to school here but couldn’t but now I’m here.
“I always hear my old man talk about how hard the training at sand dunes were and I definitely believe him now, we go to the sand dunes every Saturday, it’s a different kind of feeling,” Rasolea said.
But the 27-year-old has credited the Reds team for laying a strong rugby foundation for her.
“I was very grateful to be part of the Reds and everything that they did for the foundation of my rugby.”
Rasolea has already formed a strong connection with her number one fans, the little kids.
“To be able to be here and finish trainings and see the smiles on little kids and like the girls, especially and the boys, just to see how rugby crazy this country is amazing.
“In the team, there is no overseas and local based, everyone is equal, everyone plays, same job on the field,” she added.
With maternal links to Navoci in Nadi, Rasolea credits her brother Solomoni Rasolea Jnr as her number one adviser who believes in her during tough times and always provides encouragement.
Her 2023 highlight moments was winning against the Waratahs in the semifinal and beating her former team mates in the Queensland Reds side in the main cup final of the Super W.
“That was the greatest moment of my life.” Looking ahead, Rasolea acknowledges the next season will be tougher and she is prepared to fight for her spot.
