I miss him so much!
Former Fiji 7s coach Peni Veidreyaki spoke highly on the life of his former manager and old boy Epeli Lagiloa after he was laid to rest at his village in Luvunavuaka, Dawasamu Tailevu yesterday.
In 1966 when Veidreyaki joined Lelean Memorial School as a Form One student (year 7), Lagiloa was already a senior boy.
Peni, reminiscing about the good memories they had and even wore the same shirt that they had worn when they took Fiji to the World Rugby Sevens Series.
Veidreyaki couldn’t believe that the shirt still fits him 19 years later.
“We were the first coach and manager to take Fiji to the world sevens series. Before it was just Hong Kong and then back home then the series was introduced in 1999-2000 in Dubai.
“He was one of those athletes that represented Fiji at the South Pacific Games. He was a good competitor and one of his rivals was from Queen Victoria School Tevita Rabuli, but he was always ahead of Rabuli,” he said.
“I know him as an athlete but I’ve seen him with a rugby ball but what I gather he took up rugby when he joined the teachers college in Nasinu.
“He wasn’t a rugby person but the knowledge and how outspoken he was that helped him land a coaching position.
“When I was given the coaching job I felt that he was hurt because I was his junior and he was a senior and a prefect.
“But just because we were brought up from a Christian school it taught us to be respectful to each other and that took us along way, respect and having faith in each other.”
The 66-year-old Yasawa gentlemen spoke of their experience during the 2000 coup as the players were on verge of winning their first sevens 7s series title, but unfortunately because of the nature of the situation at home the players lost concentration and lost the title.
“When George Speight took over Parliament that Thursday, we flew out of the country on Friday.
“We were supposed to win that quarter-final for the first series title, but just because of the situation at home the players got worried and it affected them.
“I am always thankful for him (master Epeli) being with me even though we didn’t have any trainer, we both did the training and him as the fitness guru he was always training the boys and we both jelled well.”
Former Naitasiri coach Reverend Joji Rinakama said he was blessed to play alongside Lagiloa because he learnt a lot from him.
“Well-known rugby players nowadays are famous because of him,” he said.
