Rugby World Cup 2023: Day 20 highlights
Fiji scrum-half Frank Lomani has told the remarkable story of how his rugby career got started. The 27-year-old is in line to face England in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, providing he and his team-mates make it through Pool C at Australia’s expense.
The Flying Fijians have already taken a major scalp at this year’s tournament, beating the Wallabies 22-15 last month to leave Eddie Jones’ side at risk of an early tournament exit.
Simon Raiwalui’s Fiji outfit have also beaten Georgia in Pool C, while they ran Wales mightily close in an entertaining 32-26 battle on September 10. If they successfully make it through to the quarter-finals, Steve Borthwick’s England will be there to battle it out for a spot in the semis.
Lomani will be pinching himself every step away as the former Northampton Saints star had to take drastic action to kick-start his professional rugby career in the first place.
Don’t miss… Rugby faces Middle Eastern takeover as World Cup sides ‘approached about deals’
“I lived in a village called Savu Savu and I was brought up on the sugar cane farm,” he told The Daily Mail. “In 2015 I was still in high school and I was going to get a job at Westpac bank. The Westpac manager wanted me to go and work there after school because I was good at maths.
“We didn’t have the money to send me to university so my parents saw that as a job opportunity. I didn’t want to work for the bank so I ran away. Ran to the city.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
“It was a Friday. When I left home that morning, I had already packed my stuff to run away after my last exam paper. I took the ferry, 13 hours. My uncle gave me my one-way fare to Suva. It was 56 bucks and he gave me 60, so I slept on the ferry with four dollars in my pocket.
“I bought one roti parcel and then had two dollars left. My uncle came to pick me up from the jetty and I asked him not to tell my parents. They thought I’d gone to the sugar cane farm to work.
“My parents didn’t want me to play rugby. My dad wanted me to be a soccer player and earn big money. My parents rang my family at the sugar cane field and they said, ‘Oh, he’s not here’.
“They called around and found out I was in Suva. They found out on the Friday and told my uncle to send me back on the next boat on the Sunday. That Saturday there was a club game in Suva, for Marist Rugby Club. I went into the club, didn’t know anyone, played wing and scored two tries. I didn’t know the Fiji Under-20 coach was watching. So that was the start.”
Buy all of your Rugby World Cup 2023 programmes here
Source: Read Full Article