WHEN Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka took the first Fiji team to the World Sevens in 1992, there was no rugby league at all in the island nation.
When Skipper Nuilevu arrived in Sacramento 26 years later as a first generation domestic Fijian rugby league player, there was none there either. So like the General, he started it.
“The club started back in 2019 – I started the club,:” said Nuilevu after his side’s brutal and tense 22-8 win over Roots in the NRL Nines men’s final at Desert Breeze Park.
“I came from Fiji in 2018 and back in Sacramento there was just rugby union.
“I played rugby league back in Fiji. The team from where I came from, it was called Lami Steelers. Two of our boys made it to the Fiji Sevens teams.
“I’ve been the only one running it. I’m the coach. I’m the player. I’m the manager. I’m everything. We have the Sacramento community behind us and we want to thank them.
“It was the foundation of rugby league in Fiji (in 1992). We now have all these Fijians – ‘Bill’ Kikau, Siuiasi Vunivalu, Maika Sivo. We look up to them.
“I never made the Fiji team, I just played domestic but whatever I learned from my coach I bought it over to Sacramento.”
Two Immortals attended the NRL Combine on Sunday. In Las Vegas there is evidence of a new phenomenon in our game – second generation expansion. That is, individuals from non-traditional league areas passing on their love of the game to even more remote frontiers.
The coach of the women’s champions, Ontario Ospreys, is from the expansion region of Newcastle in North-East England.
Immortals used a breathing technique borrowed from the Fiji Sevens team: at halftime they would line-up, face the same direction and employ breathing exercises.
The deeply religious group did not immediately celebrate when the siren rang at full-time in the final, instead kneeling individually to pray.
They then treated the sizeable crowd to not one but two hymns before filing over to the presentation area to receive their medals from Sam Thaiday. Niulevu said all prize money would go to the players.
There was controversy during the play-offs when Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans were disqualified for using unregistered players. One of them was thought to have played for another team earlier in the tournament.
Utah’s Glendale Storm and Herriman Roosters each withdraw from tournament at the 11th hour, creating forfeits. Sandor Earl-organised Air Locker Advantage, Roots and Riverton Seagulls topped the pool rounds undefeated.
In the men’s under 18s, West Side Pit Bulls topped a three-team table.
