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Olympics rugby sevens gold medalist Iosefo Masi has turned down lucrative offers to take his talents overseas and has insisted he wants to continue to play for Fiji.
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The 23-year-old told Fiji Times he received many overseas offers after the gold medal win in Tokyo but wanted to continue to play for his country and is in the final year Bachelor of Science in Fisheries student at the FNU’s College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF).
Masi said: “I plan to further my studies and continue to play for Fiji. Right now I can’t wait to go back home to Taveuni and see my parents. I cannot stop thinking about them as it breaks my heart being away from them. I can’t wait for the borders to be open.”
Masi, like the rest of the gold medal winning squad has been forced to be away from his family for nearly six months due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic. He attended Holy Cross College in Wairiki, Taveuni before he joined Suva Grammar School in 2016 with his love of rugby taking him finally to Nasinu Secondary School.
“To further develop my skills in the sport, I moved from Taveuni to Suva, where I attended Suva Grammar School. I had the opportunity to play for the U18 team in the 2016 Deans competition:” he explained.
“Later I was part of the Tabadamu team before I was selected to represent Fiji at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
Masi said he learnt a lot from the experienced players who had played in the HSBC Sevens series.“One thing they taught me was humility, be humble and always listen to instructions given by the management.”
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The squad are still being impacted by the pandemic travel restrictions with Olympics gold medallist Sireli Maqala being kept at a quarantine facility in Labasa.
Health officials picked Maqala from the Waiqele Airport on Saturday when he arrived from Nadi, following his participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“We have been advised by the doctors that the quarantine is necessary because my son travelled from Nadi to Nausori which is a red zone area,” his father Sisa Ramuadrau said.
“He is expected to be released later this week but that will depend on the tests conducted.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments