Fiji’s reputation for sportsmanship is being dragged through the mud in Australia after Fijian Drua player Jennifer Ravutia stomped on a NSW player’s chest in the Drua’s clash against the Waratahs.
It was an absolute disgrace that has brought shame on the player, the team and the nation.
The Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, made light of the outrageous reinstatement of Aseri Radrodro as Education Minister last week by saying that he had been “yellow carded” for three months for insubordination and disobedience. Nations take their cue from the top. And that fact that two Fijian players – Adita Milinia and Asinate Serevi – were yellow-carded during Sunday’s match and Jennifer Ravutia was red-carded shows that the bad behaviour is catching.
Let’s see how much is made in the local media in Fiji of this disgraceful exhibition by the Fijian team in Brisbane. But these are not the kind of role models we need in the nation’s schools at any time, let alone when a domestic violence abuser and adulterer has been placed in charge of the destiny of the nation’s young people.
From Nine newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald:
Of course, buried on the back page of Monday’s Fiji Times. “We had some issues with discipline” but no mention that the cowardly Jennifer Ravutia deliberately stomped on a NSW player. Clearly, all’s fair in love and war in Fred Wesley‘s world.
The world will not turn the same blind eye to Fiji’s conduct.
How disgusting. I missed all this on the way back to Fiji.
What is happening to Fiji?
I’ve only been away a month but there’s a tangible attitude shift in the air in general.
Dare I say that let’s cut through the “Bula Fiji” stuff and get real.
People are unhappy and there’s a genuine lack of trust…..
So very sad.
Disappointed in the Drua team.
Fiji fans would consider the offending players ‘ real men ‘ or real warriors. After all rugby is a (Neanderthal) men’s game, not for weaklings!
Players have the right to hand out their own justice because the white ref and system is against Fiji.
Who cares if an opposition player is killed, Paralysed, has their bones broken or eye poked out..it’s war and it’s fair. And twenty years from now in the future when the same warriors suffer brain damage and other effects of high impact sports played without exercising discipline – someone else will be blamed for the debilitating mess they will be in and compensation will be sought from the same institutions they want to trample and stomp.
I would ban the Neanderthal from the competition, ban the entire team from international competition – just like for instance a rogue nation is expelled from the Commonwealth when it does not behave to civilised standards (military coup).
A matanigasau is in order pronto. Problem solved! Just like stealing neighbors bicycle, masu masu bibi kaukauwa Sigatabu and all is forgiven. The stolen item becomes a blessing from the vulagi god.
Resonates with Rabuka’s style and his treatment of Indians. He stomped all over our ancestors in 87, but he will NEVER keep us down.
Will definitely bring more Australian tourists to Fiji.
I think we should just ignore this incident as we have ignored the bonking in Australia. This incident compares very little in comparison to Minister for weed and Minister for bashings 233 adventures.
It is very much part of the culture here and it is not just confined to rugby. Fiji’s soccer teams are notorious for rough play.
There will be the usual outcry regarding the biased kaivalagi ref.
When (rightfully so) calls are made against members of the team, you have all sorts of keyboard warriors inviting the referee to Fiji.
Only to welcome them with singsong at the airport and farewell them, “Isa Isa..” on their lips and tears in their eyes.
Gracious victors but sore losers – not just the players but their fans as well
Was Rabuka even at the game, he certainly wasn’t acknowledged by officials at the awards ceremony afterwards, so maybe he was there unofficially, as a private individual flying under the radar of the ARU?
Hope he shows up for the COC today?
All this happened because Rabuka was there. Fiji lost because Rabuka was there, he is a loser. The ill-discipline happened because Rabuka was there.
It was Sunday, and I thought he should have been in church instead of watching a game in Brisbane. What an ill-disciliplined pretend religious bigot he is. Remember the Sunday ban? Oh yes, but that was a long time ago. Everything about this dickhead was a long time ago. Makes me wonder why the f*ck he is still around then? All the idiots in Fiji can answer that. The whole country is full of a vulagi God-fearing idiots. They do not even know the difference between Israelites and Christians. They have an identity crisis.
And no they should not blame the kaivalagi ref, they should blame their small brains. That is where all the problems lie.
Was this the type of stomping happening at the military barracks during the 2006 coup?
Disgraceful and bad losers. Same can be said for Fiji Govt leaders who continue to bring shame and humiliation through their sheer incompetence and bad governance. Fiji has gone back 15 years since this coalition govt has come into power by one single vote majority…
They basically imploded and buckled under pressure, now those newbies in the team know what the professional environment is like and why brains is as important as brawn.
Anyways, SODELPA is still full of themselves and need to dissolve since old habits die hard with such petty egos in that party stifling the coalition.