By Steve Tervet
Almost 18 months since he waved goodbye to his wife and homeland, Sitiveni Turagaiviu admits he is ‘counting the days’ until he returns home to Fiji.
The Tunbridge Wells centre has been an integral part of the London 1 South club’s side since he set foot in the UK and his incredible adventure is now entering its final chapter.
Turagaiviu, 25, left the Pacific island in November 2008 after discovering Wells via an internet search and has worked weekdays at the Hare & Hounds pub in Bidborough before living out his passion for rugby on Saturdays.
The channels of communication back to Fiji have been frequent and although Turagaiviu has excelled on the rugby field and settled into west Kent life, the 10,000-mile journey home at the end of this season cannot come soon enough.
“I’ve really enjoyed it and I want to help the team out as much as I can before I leave,” he said. “However, my wife is back at home so that’s been really hard. We speak regularly on the phone and on Skype, but now I’m counting the days until I can see her again. The club’s been like my second home and I’ve been telling myself I want to score another few tries before I leave to help them finish as high as possible.”
With 10 tries to his name already, Turagaiviu has played a huge part in Wells’ season which has soared and dipped at various stages. He recalls the shock to the system which greeted his arrival on British soil in 2008.
“I arrived here in November and the weather was very cold,” he said. “I played for the 2nd XV at first and my debut for the first-team was against Gravesend. It was good to be playing but the weather was not good and it affected my game. Most of the time, the ball wouldn’t come to me and when it did, my hands were so cold I could hardly catch it.”
Having played rugby for his school from the age of nine, Turagaiviu went on to represent Suva in the Fijian provincial championship, winning the national cup in 2006 and 2007.
He has shone for Wells during his time with the club and while their loss may be Suva’s gain, he has not ruled out a return to Kent for another crack at the league title.
He said: “I’m really pleased with how I’ve been playing and I’d like to play for Tunbridge Wells again. Rugby is part of my life now and I want to give something back to the club.”
POSTED: 07/03/2010 09:00:00
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