FIJI could be breeding another Tongan rugby player who wants to represent Fiji rather than his home country Tonga.
Kaliopasi Uluilakepa is part of the Fiji schoolboys team that leaves today for New Zealand, a place where he was born in 18 years ago.
Uluilakepa is a student at Marist Brothers High School in Suva and was part of the school’s U18 team that lost to Queen Victoria in the 2016 Deans Trophy final.
After he was born in NZ Uluilakepa returned to Tonga and was brought up in the Friendly Isles before his father Sione Uluilakepa was transferred to Fiji to be at the Diocese of Polynesia, Moana Ministry Educator in 2014.
“My father had to move to the main office of the church, so that’s why I am here following my father. I was raised in Tonga and only in 2014 I came to Fiji and studied at Marist Brothers High School. It’s been three years now in Fiji,” Uluilakepa said.
Today as he travels with the Fiji schoolboys, he won’t see himself as being a Tongan, rather being a Fijian with hopes to don the white jumper with the coconut tree emblem one day.
He previously had eyes for the All Blacks jersey, but that has changed.
“For me, it’s an honour to play for Fiji because ever since I came, Fiji has helped me in many ways. There are plenty opportunities to go overseas here and Fiji also make use of the talent God has given me. I guess playing for Fiji is one of the best opportunities that I have got. I play prop. The most important lesson I have learned is love and brotherhood. It started when I entered Marist Brothers High School. They always say ‘I am my brother’s keeper and I have used that to bring that to the Fiji team..
“To be honest I would like to play for Fiji. I always wanted to play for the All Blacks, but since they have already won the World Cup many times, I always made a goal to play for a Pacific Island team to win the World Cup and to create history,” Uluilakepa said.
