After 10 years of playing international rugby, Benjamin John Sadrugu has scored one of the greatest tries of his life.
In front of family and friends, the 39-year-old was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Fiji by Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo last Friday.
“Before pursuing my studies, I used to play rugby professionally overseas,” he said.
“I spent nearly five years playing rugby in Ireland, two years in France and one year in Brisbane, Australia.”
From 2011 to 2017, Mr Sadrugu played for a rugby club in Nelson, New Zealand.
He said because of age and to spend time with his family, he made the decision to quit rugby and move back home.
In 2017, he decided to pursue further studies and enrolled a Bachelor of Law program at the University of the South Pacific.
“As the years passed, I was thinking I couldn’t do rugby anymore because age was catching up.
“In 2017, I considered being a school teacher, but I thought of my age. I was over 30.
“I later met a man who was a lawyer and people told me he was almost 70 years old.
“So that got me thinking. I should go into this profession which I could continue to enjoy later (in life).”
Mr Sadrugu spent four years studying for his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the Emalus Campus in Vanuatu and finished his Professional Diploma in Legal Practice (PDLP) in Suva.
He said after being away from school for 18 years, one of the biggest challenges was “hitting the books”.
“My last school was in 2004, when I attended Marist Brother’s High School.
“But one thing with rugby is that it instilled discipline and helped me work hard for anything I wanted in life.”
While studying away from home posed challenges, nothing was more daunting than losing his father in 2019 and being stranded in Vanuatu during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two events took a toll on his studies but they made him persevere.
“I lost my dad in 2019 so it was hard for me to continue but with the support from my mum and my family, I managed to complete my studies.
“They always reminded me to work hard and that nothing gets handed to you for free or easily.”
His message to people who intend to take up a career in law in the future is — age should not be a barrier to achieving one’s dream
“If you are in doubt, always ask because everyday is another day of learning.
“And it’s never too late, I’m 39 years old and I went back to school.
“All the sleepless nights will be worth it — so don’t be afraid to take the first initiative.”
