Love of travel earns Fiji sevens rugby captain Raijieli Daveua an ...

SINGAPORE – At seven, Raijieli Daveua was just a girl who dreamed of travelling, but little did she know that her passion would bring her an Olympic medal.

Eight years ago, the netballer made the switch to rugby as she believed it would give her more opportunities to see the world.

Rugby has since taken her across Europe, Asia and the Pacific.

During that time, she won bronze with the Fiji women’s sevens rugby team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and a silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

This week, rugby has brought Daveua, 31, back here for the HSBC SVNS Singapore as the women’s competition makes its debut.

Daveua, who works as a corrections officer, is no stranger to Singapore.

Over a decade ago, the defender played for Netball Super League side Mission Mannas from 2013 to 2014 on a two-year contract.

She said: “I’ve been to countless countries and getting to travel, meeting new people, new cultures, making new friends, I love that.”

Of all the countries she has visited, Singapore remains her favourite.

“I love the food here and I love the people because it’s the first country that I travelled to; it has a special place in my heart.”

Her family has been very supportive of her career choices in sport and Daveua said her parents “are happy as long as I am happy”.

“Training is very different, because for netball you only have a small court.

“Rugby, you have a big field and you have to run around, but it’s all in the heart, and when you enjoy it, nothing is impossible.

“It’s just the ball, it changed from a circle ball to an oval, nothing new. The agility I’ve still got it, my dad used to play rugby as well and I think rugby is in my DNA.”

She remembers her Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio as “nerve-racking”, adding: “I never played in the series... I never learnt a lot of rugby things but it’s in our blood.

“So I just go there and do whatever we’re supposed to do, help my team.

“It was an amazing feeling for me being part of that team (in Tokyo) and winning the bronze medal, bringing it home.”

The Fiji captain has come a long way since and wants to mark the end of her career with a podium finish at the Paris Olympics.

She said: “I will take one game at a time... after Singapore I will (head to) Madrid and we will see what’s next, but our main focus is to go there and stand on that podium again.

“After the Olympics, I’m going to hang my boots and go back there and I started to do some new coaching, and we’ll see from there.”

The second day of action at the HSBS SVNS Singapore saw the Fiji women’s team losing 60-0 to Australia in their final Pool C match, but they bounced back to advance to the semi-finals after beating Japan 12-10.

They will play New Zealand in a bid for their first Cup final this season, while Australia will face France.

The HSBC SVNS’ revamped format featuring the men and women’s matches runs though all seven series, with the Grand Final in Madrid from May 31 to June 2.