He may be small in size, but Fijian Drua halfback Simione Turaga Kuruvoli is no pushover.
His powerful onfield performance has earned him the nickname ‘Little David.’
Kuruvoli’s teammates have witnessed the fall of many a Goliath to the tough Nabouwalu, Kadavu rugger.
Like many Fijian lads, the 23-year-old had always aspired to represent the country in the oval ball game.
Kuruvoli attended Nabua Primary School then moved to Lelean Memorial School (LMS) and Queen Victoria School (QVS) for his secondary education.
His inclusion in the newly formed Super Rugby side was no surprise. Kuruvoli’s dedication and commitment first caught the attention of rugby pundits and coaches at QVS during the 2016 Deans Trophy finals.
At flyhalf, he orchestrated the run of play and gave everyone a glimpse of his individual brilliance — beating two to three defenders with a single goosestep.
QVS eventually went on to win the trophy after they defeated Marist Brothers’ High School in a nail-biting final in the dying minutes with a penalty kick. Drua flanker Meli Derenalagi, Moana Pasifika winger Timoci Tavatavanawai and Chiefs fullback Emoni Narawa were also part of that 2016 under-18 team.
His grandfather, Simione Kuruvoli Sr, said he had always been competitive and had taken part in various sports.
“He started at the age of nine, representing the Suva district in primary schools soccer, played Kaji Rugby from when he was 12 representing his school and the Nasinu district, played rugby league for the Nabua Broncos and was presented the Rookie of the Year award when he was 17 and represented QVS at the Sanix Competition in Japan,” Kuruvoli Sr said.
“Simi took part in the Coca-Cola Games running in the 200 metres and 4x100m events, dabbled a bit in Australian Football (AFL) and possesses a brown belt in judo.
“Simi played flyhalf and fullback all throughout his secondary school years and in the U20, but while he was with the Fiji Warriors team, the coaches decided to move him to halfback because of his size and skills and the rest is history.”
He said the inclusion of Frank Lomani in the roster would be an added boost to them as there would be healthy competitions for the halfback position as he brought with him a wealth of experience and would lift their individual performances.
He said his uncles, Simione Kuruvoli Jr represented Nadi and Filipe Kuruvoli, represented Nadroga in the provincial competition and the Fiji Warriors, and are his namesake’s biggest influencers.
“We are truly amazed at how his rugby career is going; we continue to pray for him daily and we thank God for nurturing his talent and guiding him through every tough situation and the decisions that he’s made.
“You can see that he’s one of the smallest in the team and we refer to him as our ‘Little David’.
“He always puts his body on the line tackling players who are twice his size.
“I always urge him that even though he may be small, he should always have faith that God will equip him with the strength he needs to tackle those big players to the ground.
“We are looking forward to watching him play when they come to Fiji and we’ve prepared T-shirts for the family and friends to wear to the stadium to support my namesake and the Drua boys.”
Kuruvoli quickly rose through the Fiji Rugby Union elite pathway.
He represented Fiji in the U18 schoolboys team, Fiji U20, Fiji Warriors, Fijian Latui and was part of the Fiji 7s squad at the Oceania 7s in Suva.
He represented Tailevu in the Skipper Cup competition in 2020 and was invited to play for the Barbarians side to play England.
He also made his debut for the Flying Fijians later that year fulfilling his dream of donning the national colors.
Simione Sr said his namesake only told him about his inclusion into the Barbarians team a day prior to leaving.
“After training one afternoon, he came back and told me that he’ll be flying to England on the next day.
“I told him to inform his grandmother and he told me that he would tell her while he’s on the plane,” Simione Sr jokingly said.
Kuruvoli was in scintillating form for the Flying Fijians in their first Test against the All Blacks last July, marshaling his forwards, delivering crucial passes out wide and injecting himself into gaps to allow runners to breeze through defense, but all this was shortlived when he was ruled out of the game with a Head Injury Assessment( HIA).
He had proper rest and rehabilitation in Fiji and during the pre-season training.
He continued that same form in the first two rounds of the Super Rugby Pacific competition this year and is a top contender for the halfback position in this year’s July Test window.
Kuruvoli attributes his success and achievements to his grandparents and mother for their constant support and sacrifices for his rugby career, attending all his games in Fiji — and never missing any coverage of his games abroad.
He said they had always been there, encouraging him when preparations were tough.
“My namesake has always been under our care from when he was born, right up until now. If you look outside the house, you’ll see that I have the No.9 under the Fiji flag.
“That’s how proud we are of my namesake,” said Simione Snr.
We wish him and the Drua boys all the best” for the remaining games in the Super Rugby Pacific competition.”
