Mereoni Vonosere Namositava’s rise from relative obscurity to rugby fame as a member of the outstanding Fijiana Drua is a story that epitomises the amazing personalities that are making headlines for all the right reasons.
When the 23-year-old runs onto the field against the Waratahs Women this Saturday, rugby pundits would only be aware of her role as the utility back for the Fijiana Drua.
Her biggest fan, her mother Vasenai Namositava, said her daughter’s success stemmed from the fact that she was not ashamed of who she was and embraced everything that life had thrown at her — rugby superstar, student or market vendor.
Mereoni sells root crops and vegetables at the Suva market when she is not training or studying. She has only three units left to complete her Bachelor of Arts program majoring in Land Management at the University of the South Pacific.
