Jiuta Wainiqolo

Jiuta Wainiqolo

Birth name	Jiuta Naqoli Wainiqolo
Date of birth	(1999-03-10) 10 March 1999 (age 22)
Height	187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
School	Ratu Kaduvulevu School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing Current team Toulon National sevens team(s) Years Team Comps 2019–present Fiji
hide Medal record Representing  Fiji Men's rugby sevens Summer Olympics 2020 Tokyo Team competition

Jiuta Naqoli Wainiqolo (10 March 1999) is a Fijian rugby union player who currently plays for Toulon in the Top 14 competition in France and for the Flying Fijians XV and 7's team.^[1]

Early life[]

Jiuta hails from Namara, Vuda with maternal links to Vatulele in the province of Nadroga Navosa.

He grew up in the small town of Navua, which is 48 miles west of the capital city, Suva. Youngest of 6 siblings,Jiuta attended an Indian school, Vashist Muni Primary School and Vashist Muni College for high school, and represented the schools soccer team.He only started playing rugby in high school when he attended RKS. His father, Nemia Wainiqolo, however, had played fullback in the 90’s for Nausori Rugby Club.^[2]

Pre-Rio 2016 Olympics[]

When Jiuta Wainiqolo was 17 years old in Vashist Muni College, he took part in a trial for the national under 20s soccer team, but later got cut. At this moment in 2016, sitting at home, the Fiji 7s team had won in Rio, and he wasn’t able to make it to the capital in Suva to take part in the national celebration of the Fiji’s 7s teams return, as the streets were closed, her mom said to him. As a result, while catching the national celebration live on TV, he told himself that he “will be the next Olympian” and it was his dream to one day make it into the Fiji 7s team. ^[3] In late 2016, his elder brother and his father requested he focus on Rugby, and should therefore attend Ratu Kadavulevu School for 2017.^[4]

Jiuta Wainiqolo Award

Post Rio 2016 Olympics[]

RKS Rugby Dynasty[]

When Jiuta transferred schools in 2017, the 2016 Rio Olympics historical win was still felt in such a powerhouse rugby school such as Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS), a boarding school that is on the coast of the mainland island about 40 miles northeast of Suva, and is situated in the province of Tailevu. The atmosphere during the schools rugby season in RKS, “is like no other” he said in an interview on Rakavi Me I Cavai (3 Jul,2020).

His rugby journey in high school began as an 18 year old under Fiji rugby’s most successful schoolboys coach and RKS Director of Rugby, Nacanieli Saumi, when Jiuta was selected into the RKS 7s team that toured Australia.Even though RKS later lost in the semifinals, Jiuta still left an impression on Mr Naca Saumi as he described Jiuta as “fast, creative, elusive and skillful” because of his soccer background.^[4] That tour solidified Jiuta to retain a spot for the RKS Under 18 campaign for the 2017 season.

Jiuta Wainiqolo in 2018 playing for Ratu Kadavulevu School under 19

His RKS under 18 team were undefeated from the Eastern Zones and right up to the Deans Trophy finals, and was declared winners during the 2017 Deans rugby competition beating QVS, and Jiuta Wainiqolo was voted Best Center, hence, he was selected for the Schoolboys under 18 tour to Australia.^[5] That Fiji Schoolboys tour had current debutant, Simione Kuruvoli and Crusaders winger Leicester Fainga'anuku for the New Zealand Under 18. Next year, in 2018, Jiuta enjoyed further success moving up the ranks as Koli Sewabu called him up for the under 20s, in which Fiji went on to beat neighbors Samoa in the finals 58-0 in Romania, promoting Fiji back into the tier 1 under 20s competition.^[6]

Rugby League[]

Further more success came in early 2019, as he was offered an NRL contract with Cronulla Sharks for its academy.^[7] Jiuta quickly stamped his mark in the under 20s, winning the David Peachy Award, but as the season ended, he was released as his agent and the club couldn’t come to an agreement.^[8]

Nabua Rugby Club[]

Jiuta returned back to Fiji, and was advised by his high school coach, Nacanieli Saumi, to join Nabua Rugby Club. After a few matches, he was spotted by a senior Fiji Rugby official and Fijiana coach to the Tokyo Olympics, , who had him join the Suva Rugby Club in which Jiuta played his first match against Nadi in the 2019 Skipper Cup season.^[9]

Fiji Drua[]

Slowly regaining momentum in his rise after a good outing during the 2019 Skipper Cup season, Jiuta was called up by coach, Senirusi Seruvakula, for the 2019 National Rugby Championship (NRC).^[10] He made his debut against Sydney Rams in round 4 on September 21 in Churchill Park, Lautoka, but managed his first try against Melbourne Raising in round 6 on October 5 in Casey Fields, Melbourne, scoring an 50 meter try, in which he sliced and slipped through 5 players to touch down under the post.^[11] He made about 2 more appearance for the Drua before he got his first call-up for the Flying Fijians match against the Barbarians on the 16th, November, played at Twickenham, London, England.^[2]

Fiji 7s[]

Fiji 7s coach, Gareth Baber, had seen his progress with the Fiji Drua and the Fiji test match against the barbarians, but it was only during the where Jiuta was also playing in an invitational 7s tournament there for Speranza 22, that Gareth Baber closely observed him. Impress with his performance against the South Africa 7s Academy,which had stars like Cecil Afrika and Werner Kok, coach Barber immediately recruited him into the 7s extended team for the 2019-2020 7s series.^[12] Jiuta, however, wasn’t able to beat off competition for selection from Aminiasi Tuimaba and Asaeli Tuivuaka for the Hamilton and Sydney 7s tournament.^[13] He remained as a non-traveling reserve till the series ended.

Even though he was unlucky to not make it into the Fiji 7s team, he still showcased his class for the Fiji Warriors in the 2020 World Rugby Pacific Challenge.^[14] He was invited for the Pacific Combine, and later got interests from the ACT Brumbies, but was told to spend a season with the before he could be considered into the Brumbies academy.

Wainiqolo’s Big Break For 7’s Selection[]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation of the Olympics in 2020 forced Baber to lose two of his top players, Vilimone Botitu and Aminiasi Tuimaba, whom both took up contracts in France.^[15] In addition, most of Fiji’s rugby activities were put on hold from March–August for nationwide lockdown.When the national provincial championship, the 2020 Skipper Cup, restarted again in August, Jiuta Wainiqolo remained focused in playing 7s rugby.The following year Fiji Rugby Union introduced an “2021 Super Sevens Series” that was held in January–March, to help aid Gareth Baber’s Fiji 7s preparations for the Tokyo Olympics in July. The plan for this series was to have 4 tournaments where those from the Fiji 7s squad are to play for their own local clubs in the first two tournaments, with 16 of the best clubs competing, but towards the last two tournaments, Gareth Baber was going to select two Fiji 7s team.^[16] Playing under Fiji 7s captain, Jerry Tuwai’s LAR Barbarian Brothers club, it helped Jiuta built up more confidence for high-stakes games, and so on, Jiuta was selected in Gareth Baber’s Fiji Shadows for the 45th Fiji Bitter Sapphire Marist 7s in which he impressed.^[17]

After a strong performance in the Marist 7s, Jiuta was part of the Fiji team selected for the June 24th, Oceania 7s, played in North Queensland Stadium, Townsville, Australia, in which Gareth Baber used the tournament to select the final 13 for the Tokyo Olympics. Jiuta scored in his first match against Australia, and his last match against New Zealand in the Oceania finals of round 6.^[18]

Tokyo Olympics[]

On July 4, Gareth Baber named Jiuta Wainiqolo in his 13 men squad to defend the Olympic gold medal in Rugby 7’s in Tokyo.^[19] Fiji again meet New Zealand in the finals, winning 27-17, with Jiuta scoring a try.^[20] He was also Fiji’s top try scorer in the Olympics, with 5 tries.^[21]

In his return from the Olympics, he also made it official that French Top 14 mega club, Toulon, had signed him for a 3 year contract, beginning in the 2021-2022 season. In addition, he made plans first for his engagement to his girlfriend, before leaving for France on end of August.^[22]

References[]