A happy and sturdy young Indo-Fijian male athlete from Yolandro in Tavua is breaking customs and encouraging more indo-Fijian players to play rugby. Ronak Naidu debuted in the first round of the Western Secondary Schools Zone under-15 competitions in February this year and found himself a sport that he, his brothers and cousins can also enjoy.
Speaking to FSSRL, Ronak's first words were "I loved it", expressing his experience after playing for the Tavua College under-15 side in the Western Zone competition.
Ronak is among a handful of Indo-Fijian athletes who play rugby in Fiji. It is a rare sight to see player's like Ronak play rugby, which, among other reasons is attributable to how the game is played and the fear of suffering lifelong injuries.
Ronak's family is at peace that he enjoys his time taking up the sport as an extracurricular activity. "At my place, my family are happy, I'm okay, I have fun, that's all that matters," Ronak said.
Fiji's primary and secondary schools competitions have been a key part of Fiji National Rugby League's outreach plan to reach a more diverse audience. FNRL is currently working with the Sports Commission, the ARLC and other development partners to take rugby league programs out to schools and communities targeting new audience and greater athletic participation.
The sport has also modified Rugby League Laws for youth and junior competitions over the years to enable a much safer space for children participating in rugby league. The rules adapted from NRL Mod & mini-mod have been in use for Fijian youth and junior competitions.
FNRL Acting CEO confirmed that variations to the rules affecting children participation in Fiji can be deliberated at this year’s Leadership Conference. " Any variation can be discussed at the FNRL Leadership Conference. Player safety is paramount, it's why among other reasons we train and select players. Coaches understand that there are risks of injuries in the contact sport and that's why they vary rules for different age groups accordingly."
For now, Ronak insists on friends who had discouraged him from playing to try out the sport, telling them to "Be Brave!".
-ENDS-
