More than a century after his grandfather Patrick James Sheehan helped establish the Fiji Rugby Union, grandson Rory Sheehan, visited the rugby house yesterday and handed over pictures of its pioneers and the early beginnings of the iconic Fijian institution.
So, who was Patrick Sheehan, where was he from and what brought him to Fiji?
Rory gave The Fiji Times an insight into his grandfather and the significant role he played in establishing an organisation that would help the development of rugby from grassroots competition to nurturing some of the greatest exponents of the oval ball game the world has ever seen.
Rory, who is in the country for the first time, decided to pay a visit to the Rugby House, where he wanted to see “where it all started”.
“My grandfather came to Fiji in 1913 with a group of New Zealanders to build the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva,” Rory shared.
Having played rugby back in his home country, Sheehan knew rugby at the back of his hands as he had played for Otago few of years earlier.
“He was a plumber, but he noticed the need for an organization after observing that rugby was casually played in the country.”
Patrick James Sheehan was commonly known as ‘Paddy’ among other workers at the Grand Pacific Hotel, many of whom were Australians and New Zealanders who would play rugby during their free time. Whilst knowing that Patrick Sheehan had a history on the rugby field, he was encouraged by the tradesmen to form a rugby club. After agreeing upon this, a club called Pacific, with around 40 members was formed.
Europeans would gather in numbers every day to watch the members of the club play rugby during their breaks.
Finally, one day that year, three more clubs, United Services, Rewa, and the Cadets Club were formed after the Pacific had their first meeting.
A Suva team was named Imperial and later the CSR played under the name Rewa. These four clubs went on to form the Fiji Rugby Football Union.
Sheehan became the chairman of the union after the first officers were elected. Alongside him was Otto Strachey, formerly of Timaru, who was elected as treasurer.
After the union was formed, the Escott Shield was donated to them by the then Governor, Sir Ernest Bickham, for the club’s championships.
The same shield is still being competed for during the Escott Shield competition by clubs in the Suva Rugby Union today.
In December that year, Sheehan, pulled together a team to play a friendly match with the All Blacks, who were at the time on a very successful tour in California, USA. Fiji lost to the visitors 67-3, with Sheehan scoring their only try of the match.
This is believed to be Fiji’s first match against New Zealand in 15’s rugby.
In 1914, the ‘Native Competition’ was formed after Ratu Epeli Ganilau took up the role of president of the union. Later that year, after the union had become fully established, Sheehan returned to New Zealand where he settled in Auckland.
He played for Grafton for a few years before he retired from the sport and became a rugby writer.
Sale Sorovaki, FRU’s acting chief executive officer, thanked Rory and his wife, Lisette, for visiting the Rugby House to shed light on the founder of the union, and how it all started.
“We just want to thank both of you for taking your time out to come here today and allow us to learn about Patrick James Sheehan, the founder of the union.
“Through you, we have learnt so much about his life and so much about our beginnings, here at the FRU.
“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Interim chairperson Peter Mazey, shared similar sentiments with Sorovaki, and thanked the couple for their visit to the union.
“We just want to thank both of you for taking your time out to come here today and allow us to learn about Patrick James Sheehan, the founder of the union.
“Through you, we have learnt so much about his life and so much about our beginnings, here at the FRU.
“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Interim chairperson Peter Mazey, shared similar sentiments with Sorovaki, and thanked the couple for their visit to the union.
“We just grateful to you for being here today.
“And to make this day more special is that we have the FIJI Water Flying Fijians left the country for the World Cup in France,” he said.
