Fiji’s Bai in PNG to conduct 7s clinic

By HUXLEY LOVAI
FORMER Fijian international rugby union player Seremai Bai, pictured, is in the country over the next week to conduct a sevens coaching clinic along with former PNG Pukpuk Paul Joseph.
The duo will be in Ialibu, Southern Highlands spreading awareness on the game among interested players and coaches.
Following the coaching clinic a sevens competition will be held, with the whole programme starting today and ending on March 6
The visit of Bai to the country was made possible by Jim Rekisa, a former rugby player himself, who is also from the Southern Highlands.
Rekisa and Bai met through rugby with their sons playing in the same school team in Suva, Fiji. This is a partnership between Game Plan Pacific and Rugby Academy Fiji.
“Seremaia and I meet because our sons play rugby together in Suva, and he also runs a rugby clinic for the school that our kids attend. That’s how I got to know him and I found out about his academy in Fiji called Rugby Academy Fiji,” Rekisa said.
“I wanted to start a sevens competition at home knowing that Papua New Guinea Rugby Football Union has not gone into the Highlands region for many years, so I decided to take the initiative and drive the development of the code in the Southern highlands and the rest of the region,
“I proposed the idea to a sponsor (Petroleum Resources Kutubu) and they agreed to back me on that to get Seremaia here.”
Bai, who has played professional rugby in Japan, France and England for over 17 years, told the media that he was excited to be involved in such an initiative. Having done similar work in his native Fiji for that past couple of years.
“The thinking is that this is an opportunity to impact our people using rugby, they can build their confidence and have hope in something else,” Bai said.
“When you live in the village without a proper education you will struggle to find employment opportunities, you tend to lose hope.
“That creates negative in the community. I lived through the same experience and through rugby was able to change my life for the better.
“When I retired from rugby and started my academy, the idea was to give the younger boys a better path way though rugby.
“With the motto ‘A better person through rugby’ our aim is to create the future leaders of the community. Not just to be a good rugby player but to have an education and a chance to change your life for the better.
“The reality is that only a small percentage of rugby players make it to the top professional level, not everyone will make it.
“Taking the values of the sport and applying it to your everyday life is what we are about.”