Raijieli Victoria Laqeretabua says her journey with Fijiana Drua side is helping her to know more about her country of birth and its history — overcoming the language barrier and adapting to the culture.
The outside centre has been impressive for the Rooster Chicken-sponsored side in the Super W competition in Australia.
The young Tailevu lass, who has maternal links to Nadroga, migrated to the UK with her family at a young age.
Formerly a member of the Saracens rugby women’s team, she has not returned to Fiji since they left.
She said at the start of her journey with the Drua side, things were pretty rough in trying to fit in to a new environment.
“In the beginning it was really hard adapting to the language barrier and the culture,” said Laqeretabua.
“As time went on, I got to learn more about the girls and more Fijian history.”
Laqeretabua said the atmosphere in the team helped to bring her out of her comfort zone.
“The girls are trying to get me speaking in Fijian which helps me out of my shell, which is a good thing for me.
“Whenever I make a mistake, the girls are always teaching me how to pronounce words and learn more about the ‘tau’, ‘vasu’ and ‘village’ systems and so far it has been an incredible journey for me,” she said.
“I have not been home since I was born and I knew that this was something I would really love to do.
“Being a part of the Drua has enabled me to be more confident in speaking my language and I am fascinated with everything that I have learnt so far.”
She said they were always reminded to be humble and acknowledge the presence of God enabling them to perform week-in and week-out.
“The wins have been great so far but for us, this process of building and learning.
“It’s a huge learning opportunity for both local and overseas players and we are grateful for the opportunity.”
