Vunakece prime for second World Cup

Known for his huge blond afro haircut, Eloni Vunakece has been a Fiji Bati player since 2013.

FIJ

After spending several seasons in the NSW Cup, he went to France in 2011 to play for Toulouse Olympique, one of the leading clubs in the Elite One Championship. The overseas experience was positive for him and his family.

A year later Vunakece decided to return home to join the Wyong Roos. At the 2013 World Cup Vunakece scored one try in five games, before Fiji was eliminated in the sem-final against eventual champions Australia. Since then he has been a mainstay in the side, and has taken his wife and young daughters back to his ancestral village in Fiji. The humble forward finally earned an NRL contract in 2016, making headlines for the fact that he worked as a garbage man while also training full-time for the Sydney Roosters under coach Trent Robinson. “I was initially training once a week,” he told Fox Sports.

“I’d just been given a fulltime job and I didn’t want to leave my job but it worked out well with footy timing wise and Robbo was happy to accommodate me.”

Although first team football has been scarce, Vunakece is one of the standout performers for the Roosters’ feeder club Wyong Roos and was named as prop in the NSW Cup team of the year in both 2016 and 2017. This season he averaged 102 metres and 27 tackles per game, which bodes well for Fiji in their opening World Cup matches against the USA, Wales and Italy.

Fiji’s RLWC2017 Pool D Fixtures
Vs USA
Purchase Tickets to USA v Fiji in Townsville on 28/10/2017

Vs Wales
Purchase Tickets to Wales v Fiji in Townsville on 05/11/2017

Vs Italy
Purchase Tickets to Italy v Fiji in Canberra on 10/11/2017

Tickets: RLWC2017 tickets start at just $10 kids/concessions, $20 Adults and $45 for a family of four.

Transport: Murrays have come on board as an official transport provider for the Rugby League World Cup 2017.If you would like to organise a bus or coach to Canberra please contact them.

Attention Fiji Fans! The Australian Fijian Rugby League (AFRL) based in Sydney will be organising bus/coach services to transport Fiji supporters from selected pick up locations from Sydney to Canberra Stadium for the Fiji vs Italy match on Friday 10 November 2017.
For more information email at from the Australian Fiji Rugby League or call Joycelyn on +61474498355.

Fan Club: To join the Fijian Fan Club (free) and receive updates go to www.culturalpulse.com.au/rugbyleaguefans

Red Elephant | @redelephantaus