HE was one of the most vocal fans and a familiar face among Fijian supporters shown on television during the national sevens team quest for the prestigious Olympic gold medal in sevens rugby.
He lost his voice after that 43-7 historical win over Great Britain. The way he cheered, it could easily be seen that here was a man with so much passion and pride for his country and identity.
While many saw him as the guy dressed as a Fijian warrior in Rio, what many did not know is that sevens helped restore his identity. It was the sevens rugby that inspired him to rekindle lost ties with his iTaukei cultural identity.
This is the story of Hubert Edward Baravilala, commonly known as Etuate Baravilala.
Born and raised in Suva, Etu, as he is commonly known by his group, family and friends was raised by his grandparents in Nabua.
His parents did not marry, whatever Fijian he learnt was from his grandparent.
“My grandparents raised me well. They taught me a lot of stuff and I will always be indebted to them.”
His father went to Hawaii to further his education at the Brigham Young University when Etu was just a three-year-old boy. He (his father) later went on to join the US Air Force.
Etu attended Latter-day Saints Primary School and later the Latter-day Saints Technical College. However, he did not complete secondary school because in 1980, his father had requested that he join them in the Philippines where he was based. He had been living there with his three other sisters and younger brother — renowned singer George Fiji Veikoso.
He remembers playing alongside Orisi Naivalurua and Ro Dovi Logavatu in the Suva primary schools rugby competition. Both alongside former Japan rep Bruce Ferguson and former Macuata prop forward Panapasa Tilley were members of the historic Fiji LDS Tech Church College first 15 team that won the Deans rugby competition in 1986.
“We spent two years in the Philippines and then dad got transferred to California where we spent three years. It was here where I completed my high school education.”
While residing in the US, he heard of the famous national sevens team that thumped the All Blacks 24-0 in Hong Kong. He heard of the names of the team, its late captain Aliposo Waqailiti, Senivalati Laulau, Etuate Gusuivalu, Paulo Nawalu and how their sublime and unorthodox running style mesmerised the rugby world.
Later on the rise of the Rauluni brothers, Waisale Serevi, Tomasi Cama Sr, Noa Nadruku and others gave him the urgency and desire to know more about his country and his background.
Here he was living the American dream but the fame of the Fiji sevens team in those days reminded him that he needed to know more about his home country.
After graduating from high school in California, his father was then posted to Honolulu, where he was to retire.
“It was here that I promised myself that I was going to settle, because military life just keeps you moving.
“But the reason also I wanted to live in Hawaii was because it gave me the opportunity to learn to speak the iTaukei language, it gave me the opportunity to know more about my culture, my identity.
“When I went to Hawaii I did not even know how to speak Fijian and when I saw the layout of the Fijian village at the Polynesian Cultural Centre (PCC) at the Brigham Young University and the Fijian students performing traditional dances and all that stuff, that pushed me to know more about my culture and my customs.”
So the Lomanikoro, Nakasaleka, Kadavu native started learning the language, customs and about traditional relationships.
“You know me I was a susu madrai, a kai Kadavu but raised in Nabua,” he said with a laugh.
“But for me because my grandparents raised me well it was easy to accept and pick up.”
He gave up school because he enjoyed the money he was earning at the PCC. It was in 1986 when he joined the PCC that he met his wife — who is originally from Vanuavatu in Lau.
He made the trip to Rio not only to cheer the Fiji sevens team but also support his second daughter Akalaini Baravilala who featured for the USA Women’s Sevens team.
“When the USA women’s team played Fiji, here was me with my Fijian warrior dance costume cheering on my daughter then I heard a call from behind me and it was the PM joking and calling liu muri (traitor). We both shared a good laugh but after that it was Fiji for me.”
“When the national anthem was played I was standing there with tears streaming down my face and in my mind there was not a doubt we were going to win the gold medal.
“When the final whistle sounded I pointed at the PM and he pointed at me and together we shouted toso Viti toso.
“For me I am always proud to be Fijian, but the feeling standing on the grandstand and witnessing our first gold medal is an indescribable feeling that no words can explain.”
For many a time sevens rugby has united the country. Sevens rugby is indeed our second religion, it breaks down the walls of differences and dispute.
Sevens rugby saved Etu from losing his identity, it made a Fijian out of Etu.
