Deans Rugby can be beautiful, and cruel at the same time, and the Lami High School under-19 side experienced both sides this season.
Silent movers as one can describe them and their progress in the 2024 Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union competition, came through unseen and unheard of from the southern zone.
No one paid attention to the school with the black and gold jersey during the southern zone competition as all eyes were locked on the usual giants in Suva Grammar School and Marist Brothers High School.
Finishing third from the zone, they fought their way through the playoffs in the North and started to gain traction both good and bad after their national quarter-final win against 2023 U19 champions, Ratu Kadavulevu School.
On the week they received the news that four of their players had been invited to join the Fijian Drua Academy, allegations regarding their age, school registration and personal lives surfaced on social media.
Sure enough, the allegations reached their camp posing a great mental challenge as they were days away from the national Deans semi-final.
The school through its principal Naisa Cama stood by the team, providing all the facts and evidence that supported their enrolment at the school and documents that proved they are well within the playing age.
Lami High won its case when presented to the FSSRU as the team continued with training and determination thicker than ever.
While all this was in the air, the players were grappling with its psychological challenge, but remained rooted in divine intervention to get them through.
Number eight Isoa Laulaba shared that while in camp, they could only bank on the man above to get them through.
“Throughout our preparation, we heard a lot being said about us, but we didn’t allow it to dampen our spirits because we believe in a living God that gave us the talent, the spirit, the strength and the knowledge to play this beautiful game and create our own history in Deans,” he said.
History was indeed created when they took out the U19 title after beating Queen Victoria School 20-19 in a thrilling final last weekend.
“This team, we can only thank God for bringing us this far. In camp, we would share the word of God because he had set this path for us. We heard so many things said before, during and after our games, but our coach reminded us that behind every struggle is a success story that we will live to tell through rugby,” the youngster added.
Their supporters flocked to Bidesi Park last Saturday to celebrate the milestone with tears of joy all around the team huddle.
Hope was seen in the eyes of eager and enthusiastic kids who had been following the team since the southern zone- these kids would even board the team bus with the players after every game.
Old scholars were also present in numbers wearing their school colours with pride.
“The old scholar’s support was tremendous while we were in camp. They backed the team up in whatever way they can with food and other supplies and for that we remain grateful.
“The teachers also stood by us through the weeks, there were things spoken against our team, and some of the players were affected by it, they wanted to leave the team, but the teachers stood by us reminding us that we serve a living God who knows our truth,” the 19-year-old lanky number eight shared.
Head coach Beniamoni Kaikaivalu told TimesSports in an interview last Saturday that the team’s dream run in the Deans will change perspectives in Lami.
He said that the children will now see Lami High School as a top choice of high school rather than travelling to Suva daily for studies.
Principal Naisa Cama encouraged the participation of students in sports and other activities as the school moves towards holistic development.
The team’s assistant coach Nemani Savomiramira in an interview following their semi-final win couldn’t hold back his tears as he shared the challenges faced by the players every day not just in school, but in their homes as well.
Savomiramira said it’s these small things that bonded the team throughout the Deans season and they will use that bond to propel them to better and bigger opportunities in the future.
