If ever Fiji Rugby had a super fan, then surely it has to be 51-year-old Epeli Buliciri.
A familiar face at almost every single 7s tournament, this year it was his 16th Hong Kong 7s in a row since 2007.
This was also the last event at Happy Valley before the next Hong Kong 7’s will be hosted at the new 50,000 capacity $10billion Kai Tai Sports Park in Kowloon – the site of the former international airport.
Buliciri is also fondly referred to as ‘The Don’ from his all-time 1972 favourite classic The Godfather.
Although raised largely in the United Kingdom, with paternal ties to Kadavu and maternal ties to Tubou in Lakeba Lau, Buliciri is a die hard kaiviti fan through and through.
Don’t be fooled either by his cultured English accent – Buliciri is a Fijian at heart and has even been described as Fiji’s 8th man with his presence on the sidelines.
He even has a bucket hat for every coach, with each hat adorned with the various pins from various rugby playing nations, clubs and even individuals.
He also recalls how the now popular Blue Wiggers was formed around 2007 – representing a cross section of various personalities from all corners of the globe – all with one thing in common – their relentless support for our 7s team.
Buliciri’s passion for the sport is clearly evident with his familiarity with the teams, coaches, individual players and even officials. He even knows the best eating and drinking spots in Hong Kong, who owns them and the best short cuts to get there.
So much so, he is on a first name basis with most of the top players, both men’s and women’s.
“People often ask how I am able to afford attending all these tournaments and where do I get the time. It’s simple. When I get back to work I just do all the overtime and more and then start looking for airline discounts in advance,” he says.
He got hooked onto rugby after the 1982 tour of the Fiji 15s team to the UK.
“My dad who was in the British Army back then was a school mate of team manager Paula Cavu and we got tickets so that’s how I got hooked as a kid,” he fondly recalls.
With nothing more than his trusty back pack, over the years he has developed his own network with other fellow die-hard fans, often pooling resources and funds where necessary and always a keen eye out on the best accommodation deals on offer.
He rates Hong Kong, Dubai and Cape Town as among the best tournaments to attend.
“But now, its back home to doing a bit more overtime and then prepare for the upcoming Olympics,” he quips with a cheeky smile.
