Young halfback Evivi Senikarivi relished her first-ever Super W win with the Rooster Chicken Fijiana Drua two weeks ago.
The Qalira villager from Nabukalevu in Kadavu said representing Fijiana Drua and playing in the Super W final was like a dream come true for her.
“From round one I was very nervous because it was my first year in Super W. I was very nervous even in round two but we backed each other and got through it.”
“Some things happened behind the scenes affected us, but we made sure to keep giving our best. The senior players were always very encouraging to the junior players. The new players finally bonded late into the season but we stuck to it and got the win which was so exciting.”
The 22-year-old who played for Lautoka, and was one of the standouts of the Marama Championship last season, said the Super W competition was tough but she was determined to make her family proud.
“It was very different coming from Marama (Championship) to Super W. It was an eye-opener in the sense that the Super W opened my eyes to playing more than just here at home.”
“I never told anyone at home I was going to Super W. I kept it a secret until they finally knew. They were very supportive and kept calling me ahead of every game. I’m the youngest in the family. My parents are very supportive but I try not to burden them but instead build my career on my own.”
“I started playing when I was small and just built it from there and now I am a Super W champion.”
Senikarivi said she will utilise all the lessons learned from the Super W competition in the test against the Wallaroos on Saturday.
“The test match will be different and Super W is something different. Although we lost to the Wallaroos last year, we will definitely be gunning to change that this year. I have learned a lot about rugby in the Super W and it has also shown me my weaknesses and I’ve improved on that.”
“I want to put on a good show with my sisters and get the win we always want because we are not threatened by Australia. We have beaten them in the Super W and will try our best again this time to beat them in the big test.”
Fijiana will face the Wallaroos at 7pm at Allianz Stadium.
