 South Africa vs Fiji during 2007 Rugby World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 September 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Vuda, Lautoka, Fiji | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 113 kg (17 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Taniela Rawaqa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ifereimi Rawaqa (born September 20, 1980 in Vuda, Lautoka, Fiji) is a Fijian rugby union player. He plays as a lock or flanker.
In 2002, when he was still 21 when he made his test debut in the victory over Samoa, in Apia. After four matches as a substitute, he made his first start against Tonga in the 47-20 win at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, and celebrated with a well-worked try from 35 metres out when he raced onto a chip over the top from Seru Rabeni. His build makes him an ideal line-out jumper, but he is also equipped with speed to match most wingers.
Injury saw him miss the 2003 early-season trials and he did not feature in the warm-up matches against Australia or Tonga. When Apenisa Naevo pulled up late in the first match of the New Zealand tour last August, Rawaqa was called up. He also led his provincial team Lautoka to both major trophies in Fiji in 2003 – the Telecom Cup and the Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy, which is a challenge competition similar to New Zealand's Ranfurly Shield.
In 2004 Rawaqa was selected in the Pacific Islanders team where he started all 3 test matches. After an impressive showing for the Islanders he was offered a contract to play for Auckland but turned it down preferring to play for Japanese club World Fighting Bull.
Rawaqa showed his pace when he outran the Wales backline to score under the posts in what was so nearly an historic win for Fiji at Cardiff in 2005, when Fiji lost 11-10.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKnR1n2DDTY
He has played at two world cups, 2003 and 2007 being part of the historical quarter-final reaching team. He was also part of Fiji's 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens winning team.
He is the elder brother of Fijian International Taniela Rawaqa who plays fullback for Fiji.
The Pacific Islanders was a combined international rugby union team that played from 2004 to 2008. It represented Fiji, Samoa and Tonga; Niue and the Cook Islands also supplied players to the squad for their tour in 2004. The team did not play at Rugby World Cups, where each of the nations continued to represent themselves.
The Samoa national rugby union team represents Samoa in men's international rugby union and it is governed by the Samoa Rugby Union. They are also known as Manu Samoa, which is thought to derive from the name of a Samoan warrior. They perform a traditional Samoan challenge called the siva tau before each game. Samoa Rugby Union were formerly members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Tonga. They are ranked 11th in the world.
The Fiji national rugby union team represents Fiji in men's international rugby union. Fiji competed in the Pacific Tri-Nations and now competes in its successor tournament Pacific Nations Cup. Fiji also regularly plays test matches during the June and November test windows. They have beaten the major rugby playing sides of Wales, Scotland, Australia, France, Argentina and England. The only major sides Fiji are yet to beat are New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.
The Tonga national rugby union team represents Tonga in men's international rugby union. The team is nicknamed ʻIkale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a traditional challenge – the Sipi Tau. They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance (PIRA) along with Fiji and Samoa. The Ikale Tahi achieved a historic 19–14 victory over France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but having lost to New Zealand and Canada, were unable to achieve what would have been their first-ever presence at the quarter-finals.
Edward Jones is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He currently coaches the Australia national rugby union team after returning to replace Dave Rennie in January 2023 following his sacking from England. He was the head coach of the England national team from 2015 to 2022. His first stint coaching the Wallabies was between 2001–2005 where he coached them to successful Bledisloe Cup games and a Rugby World Cup final.
Ratu Seru Rabeni was a Fijian rugby union player. He played as a centre or wing. At both club and international level, his physicality and heavy tackles earned him the nickname "Rambo".
Rupeni Caucaunibuca is a retired Fijian rugby union footballer who last played professionally for Northland in the ITM Cup. His nickname was the "Bua Bullet" as he hailed from the province of Bua.
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Mosese Nasau Rauluni is a retired Fijian rugby union footballer. He usually plays at scrum half, and played for Saracens in the Guinness Premiership in England. He has played for Fiji, including captaining them. He is the younger brother of Jacob Rauluni and first cousin of Waisale Serevi.
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Pierre Hola is an Australian-born former rugby union footballer. He represented Tonga and played club rugby in the Australian Shute Shield for Eastwood.
Soane Tonga'uiha is a Tongan-born, New Zealand-educated, rugby union player and coach. He plays for Chinnor and internationally for Tonga. His position of choice is loose-head prop, although he sometimes plays at tight-head. He is known for his large size and fierce runs.
Fetu'u Moana Vainikolo is a Tongan rugby union player who currently plays for the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby (MLR). His regular playing position is Wing.
Inoke Male, is a Fijian former rugby union footballer and former head coach of the Fijian national side. He played in the position of Number eight, but could also play Flanker during his playing career.
John Gregory McKee is a rugby union coach from New Zealand. He is a former coach of Fiji and the most hated man in Fiji after what he did at the RWC 2019 to the beloved island nation.
Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship is an international women's rugby union competition contested by women's national teams from Oceania. The current Champions are Samoa who claimed their first Oceania title at the Championship in Australia. Fiji has won the most titles with three.
Kavaia Rawaqa is a Fijian footballer who plays as a defender for Fijian club Lautoka and the Fiji national team.
The 2019 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship that was held in Fiji, was the 2021 Rugby World Cup qualifier for the Oceania region. The tournament was played at Churchill Park in Lautoka from 18–30 November 2019, with six teams entered. Australia and New Zealand sent development teams, having already qualified for the 2021 World Cup.
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