23 October, 2004

Mountain rugby – build it and he will come Many overseas coaches visiting Fiji for the first time find themselves pleasantly surprised with just how popular rugby is in this country and how much natural flair and enthusiasm for the game Fijians have in their carefree environment. Unless these God-given talents are nurtured and harnessed, however, the outside world will never fully see what we have to offer. Words by Vela Naucukidi, photos by Matt Impey. Before we talk of coaches, clinics, equipment and rulebooks to groom our players, the first thing needed is a flat area of grass. The St Peters Club from the Namosi Highlands doesn’t even have that, yet they have managed to do wonders in the BP Oil 7s series and within the Namosi Rugby Union club competition. In 1997, Namosi won the B Division with a 19-10 victory over Ba. And in 2002, many of St Peters’ players were involved in Namosi’s famous victory over Ovalau at Nasau Park in Levuka for the Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy. Travelling west along the Queen’s Highway from Suva, Teivovo turned right at Nabukavesi and headed 28 kilometres inland to reach the isolated chiefly village of Namosi in the interior of Viti Levu to see how they have coped so well. The difficult road conditions make it reachable only by four-wheel drive. Two players from the club were national trialists in the 1980s – looseman Pasikale Yalayalatabua and prop Filipo Tokalau, who might have got a chance to play for Fiji but returned to the village to be with his wife who was about to give birth. Daniele Cakau and Venasio Tokatokavanua, now playing for top sevens club Red Rock Qauia, also hail from St Peter’s. Cakau made it into the national 7s team this year. Coaching the club is former goal-kicking prop forward Abaramo Bakaniceva who captained Namosi Province in 2001. And former national fullback Atonio Nariva, again captain of Namosi this season, is also from the same club. As good as it gets? The lack of goalposts has not affected St Peter's results Nearly 50 years St Peter’s was founded in 1956 when they used to compete for the Bishop Foley Cup in the Catholic competition. At that time, the provincial side was Navua, and when the club played in the Navua competition, they played as Voma, named after the imposing peak that towers over the village. In those early days, there was no passable road from Namosi village to the highway. To be able to participate in the games at Navua, the players had to walk for some distance to the upper reaches of the Navua River and travel down by boat on the Friday. They would then spend a night at Nakavu village before playing on the Saturday. It was like that every weekend for 23 years until 1979 when the Namosi Road was opened. But still today, they face a transportation problem – they must hire a truck ($120 each way) just to get to the venue. To cut down on costs, they now play their own competition inland and then select their best to play against those from the coastal part of Namosi in order to pick the provincial side. In these highlands, they share three grounds among seven villages. The club players have an abundance of speed, strength and guts, which can go a long way, but they need direction and coaching assistance to improve their game. Listening to the radio and watching rugby videos remain the main sources of information gathering. And one of the hardest parts, Namosi President Ratu Romanu Matanitobua explains, is adapting to new rules. “The FRU have yet to visit us up here for a coaching clinic and we hope with Wayne Pivac and his team on board, we might get a visit soon,” Ratu Romanu said. According to Namosi Colts loose forward Filipo Nariva, his cousin Atonio Nariva has also been a great influence coaching wise. “When he got selected for the Fiji team, it was a big thing for us. And when he came back he brought back what he had learned and shared his experience which was really good,” Filipo said. Namosi is also known as kaca na vatu, meaning ‘the stone breakers’. Basically, it means that when they want to achieve something they will go any length to reach their goal. According to village elder Igenasio Nariva, the word ‘Namosi’ also means ‘pain’. To them, to survive they have to overcome all challenges even if it hurts very much, especially in a hard, rocky place like this. Greener pastures wanted... by the size of some of the rocks in the foreground, animals are not the only obstacles Mountain powers “Living up here is peaceful but painful,” Mr Nariva says. “Only those that can stand on their two feet and walk against the odds will survive.” The location of the chiefly village explains much about the people. Namosi lies in the middle of a big crater-like opening surrounded by mountains. The Waidina River runs alongside the village, and their traditional warriors live in the surrounding villages. Almost 100 houses make up Namosi village and a Catholic boarding school is close by, hence all the Catholic names. Because of the rugged location, finding a suitable place for a rugby paddock is not easy. The small clearing that is currently used doesn’t even have rugby posts, making Teivovo wonder how they are able to produce a top points scorer like Atonio Nariva, who has racked up more than 350 first-class points since assuming Namosi’s kicking duties in 2000. They’re planning to build a real field at the end of the year by extending and upgrading this patch of open but very uneven ground. Ratu Romanu says they are also seeking government assistance. “But before we do that, we have to be active and get ourselves organised,” he stresses. Firstly, they have to ask permission from his brother Ratu Suliano Matanitobua, the high chief, to use this piece of land. Once they have approval, they’ll go to government for financial support. Nittetsu, a Japanese company that has been doing gold and copper mine work in the highlands since 2000, is another source of income. And they will need all the help they can get. “Build it and they will come,” the voice told Kevin Costner in the movie Field of Dreams. If St Peter’s do manage one day to build their own ground (with actual goalposts), the villagers will no doubt invite Wayne Pivac and his team for a special visit. Slick hands... but watch out for the cow dung! St Peter's Gates... Namosi is one of seven villages in the area. The peak on the left is Mt Voma. Deceptive looks... St Peter's may not have much in the way of gear, but they helped Namosi win the Farebrother in 2002