Australian-born Fijian Lusiana Vesikula made an appearance for the New South Wales Waratahs team against the McDonald’s Fiji Drua Women’s team on Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Although her game time was cut short due to an injury, Vesikula remained positive about the experience and praised her teammates for their determination throughout the match.
Both sides drew 27-all, concluding what had been a fierce encounter in each half and as the Super W season begins next month.
Vesikula described the atmosphere at the ground so intense and exciting, saying the home support made the occasion even more special.
“It’s definitely great to see the atmosphere playing in front of your home crowd,” she said.
“The fans are very diehard, very intense atmosphere, but great overall.”
She highlighted the pressure of returning home to play against the Drua Women, with expectations from the crowd challenging her mentally during the games.
“Personally, I think I let it get in my head, but the pressure from the crowd and everyone else, and the standard to play to the best of my ability gets to me,” she said.
The 18-year-old added she hopes to build more confidence in herself and continue developing her strength as the season begins.
The rookie centre ended by expressing gratitude to her family members for turning out in numbers to support her in the trial match on Saturday.
