THROUGHOUT his years in high school, Mesulame Kunavula’s family always believed he was destined for the world stage.
And so mesmerised were they by his talent, they prayed fervently that his skills be recognised some day.
In many ways, they see his selection to don the national jumper and participate in his first rugby 7s tournament in Wellington, New Zealand, as an answer to their prayers.
Formerly a student of Lomawai Secondary School, Kunavula is no stranger to participating in international tournaments, having been part of the Fiji U20 and Telecom Fiji Warriors rugby team.
As a player, the 21-year-old has matured rapidly in a span of three years with his stint in the Telecom Fiji Warriors last year, making him one of Fiji’s development players for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The Nadroumai, Nadroga, lad was part of the Tovolea Rugby Club before being drafted into the Nadroga rugby squad where he worked his way to national representation.
“First of all I would like to thank the Lord, I believe this is a great opportunity that has been given to me to have reached this stage,” he said.
“I never dreamt that I would make it to the team even though I was part of the Fiji Babaas
“I came back and I was informed that I was also selected for the 7s team, I was so grateful to the selectors.”
Kunavula said the Wellington 7s was one of the highlights of his rugby career.
“This is the first time I will be participating in a competition of this calibre. Even though I’ve gone abroad a couple of times none of the tournaments have been like this one. I know that this it will also be a challenge for me playing amongst a lot of experienced players but I’m ready and will work to the best of my ability.
“My family has been supporting me for a long time and I know this is a big achievement, not just for me, but for my family too, and they too were extremely happy when I was selected.
“We will do our best and hope for a positive result this weekend.”
