3 September, 2001

As rural as it gets...

The Island of Bau

Bau’s victory in the Vanua Shield in July augurs well for the rugby future of this small but vibrant island. The Vanua Shield has been going since 1984 when it was donated by the NLTB to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Rewa Rugby Union. Vela Naucukidi paid the chiefly island a visit.



With the shifts in union names and boundaries, the shield now sits as the pinnacle of Tailevu club rugby.

Bau island is made up of three villages – Bau, Lasakau and Soso – and has a total population of fewer than 350 people. Yet size has not deterred them from producing talented rugby players over the years.

With limited space on the island, aspiring ruggers have to train on an 80-metre-long patch of green that doubles up for village functions.

Scarcely a kilometre around the shoreline, Bau is the home of Tui Viti and is known historically as the centre of Fiji’s political scene. It is joined to mainland Viti Levu by a long flat of coral, which makes it fordable at low tide, though a 10-minute long-boat ride to the mainland is the common mode of transport.

Bau’s rise to power came through the island’s close connection to a number of convicts that escaped from New South Wales in 1804. They were usually given whatever they wanted in return for helping the chiefs during war.

Late arrival
Rugby arrived rather late in the area. Cricket was initially the most popular sport on the island, and the old cricket strip still sits in the middle of the rugby field.
Bau Rugby Club was founded in the early 1950s. Bau, Ovea, Cautata, Namara and Dravo formed a Bau tikina team under the Rewa Rugby Union banner.

Old timer... Frank Mucunabitu under the century-old vaivai tree

In 1964, Bau island branched out and formed their own independent team. Alifereti Voreqe Mucunabitu, popularly known as Frank, was one of the players that contributed to the development of the sport on the island.

Frank, the elder brother of former national rep Jese Mucunabitu, was an ‘A’ grade winger in his time and was a member of the 1FIR Battalion in Malaya that went unbeaten from 1952-54.

He previously played with Orisi Dawai and Joji Cavalevu for the QVS team that won the 1947 Dean’s Trophy.
On his return from Malaya, Frank joined the Bau tikina team and the Naitasiri Provincial Union.

He captained the island team in their games against Vatukoula for the Senirewa Challenge Trophy. Today, the Senirewa trophy is still in Bau, but it hasn’t been used since the early 1980s.

During this time, Ratu George Cakobau was coach and was assisted by Ratu Apisake Kikau. If the grounds weren’t available (because of village functions etc), they would organise swimming exercises instead if the tide was right.

“Our rugby was unorthodox then,” Frank said. “You had to be strong to handle the amount of big tackles. In particular, Fijians were known for their ‘Torpedo’ tackles.”

NOTE:
Frank Mucunabitu passed away on Bau Island on 4 September. He was 72. More

... Bau Coach... Ratu tevita Vodo

Army officer Ratu Tevita Vodo has coached the island team since 1997 maintaining the same team he started with, while Ratu Peni Komaitai is captain.
Ratu Te rarely played rugby but became interested in coaching after getting injured in an accident in Lebanon in 1978. He attended a coaching clinic in the early 1990s and hopes that the Fiji Rugby Union will carry out more clinics.
In true Fijian style, Ratu Te uses the blackboard for his theory classes and employs the 12 sequence drills he learnt from a Queensland Rugby Union videotape.

One problem the team faces is space. Because their village green is slightly undersized, they have to travel to the mainland for all their games.

Most players are unemployed and this has forced them to remain in the village. Fishing is a way to earn a living but they are required to travel to the mainland and sell their produce. If they succeed, they can then buy canvas shoes and boots from whatever money they collect.

Ratu Inoke Seniloli, younger brother of Ratu Jope Seniloli, said they have to keep telling their children to work extra hard in school and get a job… if they don’t they may end up staying in the village, which is getting overcrowded.

Not easy
It hasn’t been an easy job either for Ratu Te, who has been pushing the players to work harder at their rugby so they can earn a living from the game.

Sometimes the players take advantage of his flexibility, which can lead to a lack of discipline. But he has remained patient with them.

“I thank the Lord for helping me through the hard times but I always tell the boys that to do better in the field, they must have respect for their parents and also serve the Lord,” Ratu Te said.

Proud of what we have... Tha Bau gym

The whole island conducts prayers at 6am, 12 noon and 6pm. If the bell rings during training, they are obliged to stop and say their prayers.

Ratu Te’s main aim is to expose his players by organising more games. “It would help a lot if they could travel outside Tailevu.”

“We hope to get a scrummaging machine and other gear for the club,” Ratu Te said after their win. It would help him and his manager, Ratu Visawaqa Tanoa, find sponsors.

Ratu Te trained Ratu Tevita Waqainaweni, the top points scorer in the Telecom Fiji Cup. Waqainaweni represents Tailevu and has his eye on a Test jumper in the near future.

Telecom Fiji Cup top points scorer... Ratu Tevita Waqainaweni

In the Tailevu team with Waqainaweni are Bau team-mates Lemeki Koroi and Jale Masivesi.

Other promising stars include fullback Kalivati Radrotaki, flanker Sakiusa Vukinamualevu (who is just 19), Jona Curu (vice captain for the Under-19 2000 QVS team), loose forward Tevita Drekelewe, centre Niko Komaitai and back Vilikesa Mucunabitu.

Waqainaweni practises his kicking in the village but mostly has to train without any goalposts.

The vanua remains supportive financially.
An added attraction to the Vanua Shield is the $200 prize money, so Bau hope to continue their winning streak because it is one way of getting some club funds.

Bau won the Vanua Shield in their challenge against Kasavu, then successfully defended the trophy against Lomainasau.


Sitting proud... Bau show off their trophy cabinet



The Vice President

Ratu Jope Naucabalavu Seniloli’s stony face but cheerful grin typifies a man who loved his game and played it hard.

A former national captain and current Fiji vice president, Ratu Jope still serves as a mentor for the young players on the island. “It's always the case, most of our village teams do not take their training seriously. They could train the whole week but come Friday night they sit around the yaqona bowl, drinking grog till daylight, and they have to play on Saturday,” he said.

Ratu Jope Seniloli

“The effort put into training is just wasted away.”

Ratu Jope didn’t play rugby during his school days.He attended Shri Vivekananda High School in Nadi and was goalkeeper for the school soccer team. He became serious with rugby when studying at Nasinu Training College.

He played for Suva as lock forward and contributed to Suva’s winning the Farebrother Sullivan Trophy in 1960 and 1961.

After his tour in 1964, he moved to Namalata in Tailevu. He had to run a few kilometres from Namalata to Lodoni to train for the club and run back in the morning in time for his first class.

"It was not easy but because of the passion I have for the game, it pushed me further and further to do better."

Ratu Jope coached the Bau team from 1970-74. In the village, one will notice a small house that used to serve as a shop, it is now the gym, one of his contributions to the island team.

Former national reps from Bau include Manasa Kikau, Ratu Edward Cakobau, Ratu George Cakobau, Jone Tabaiwalu, Ratu Apisake Kikau, Viliame Qiolele, Jese Mucunabitu, Autiko Daunakamakama, Jolame Tale, Ropate Qalo, Ratu Jope Seniloli, and Jack Komaitai.

Ratu Draunibaka Vakaruru, Sailasa Verebasaga and Ratu Sikeli Delainukunawa just reached the trials.