Bati in the RLWC
source: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=415958
After reaching the semi-finals in the past two tournaments, expectations will be high for the Vodafone Fiji Bati in the upcoming tournament.
History
Despite rugby league first being introduced in country in 1992, Fiji has a history of supplying players to the code since the 1960s. Two of the most famous players to migrate from the Pacific nation to play the thirteen-man code of rugby were Joe Levula and Laitia Ravouvou who moved from Nadi to Rochdale (England).
When rugby league was finally introduced into Fiji, it was thanks to Culden Kamea. Working with the then Australian Rugby League, Kamea pulled together the inaugural Fiji outfit that would take part in the 1992 World Sevens tournament in Sydney.
Coming into the tournament with no expectations, the Fijians surprised everyone by defeating the Canberra Raiders in their opening game, and going on to win the plate title.
The inaugural Fiji domestic competition kicked off the same year with sides from Suva and Nadi.
Fiji's first full international came at the end of 1992 when the 'Bati' would join nine other Pacific nations in the rugby league Pacific Cup.
Drawn with the more experienced Western Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Niue, the Bati were only able to record a victory against the Kukis of Cook Islands.
This slow start on the international arena would not be a deterrent for the Fijians, with the Bati recording their first international victory against a major rugby league nation just two years later against the French Chanticleers. In that same year, Fiji also finished second in the Pacific Cup, going down 34-11 to Tonga in the final.
Fiji were invited to participate in their first world cup in 1995, drawing tournament hosts, England, plus Australia and South Africa in their pool. Unsurprisingly the English and Australian's were too strong for the Bati, however the Fijians did record a 52-6 victory over the South African Rhinos.
Because of the Super League war, the 1996 Pacific Cup was cancelled, with a "Pacific Challenge" played instead.
Fiji drew a New Zealand XIII side and the Cook Islands, winning both games, with only the Bati and Maori winning both their games.
In 1997, an "Oceania Cup" was played, featuring four Pacific Nations, plus the New Zealand Maori and a New Zealand XIII.
Played in Auckland, only the New Zealand sides qualified for the final, with the Bati defeating Tonga in the fifth Place Playoff.
Fiji's next World Cup was in 2000, with the Bati again drawing England and Australia in the group stages.
Much like 95, the Bati struggled against the two Rugby League powerhouses, recording their only victory over Russia.
For the 2008 world cup, Fiji participated in a qualifying series with other Pacific Island nations. Playing a series of games in Western Sydney, the Bati suffered a tight two-point loss against Samoa, before securing wins over Tonga and the Cook Islands to qualify for the World Cup.
Coming through the qualification route saw the Fijians for the first time grouped with someone other than Australia and England.
The change in groupings worked, and while Fiji only secured one win in the group stages (a 42-6 win over France in Wollongong), they finished top of their pool to draw Ireland in the tournament semi-final qualifiers.
Played on the Gold Coast, the Fijians were simply too strong, running out 30-14 victors to make their first world cup semi-finals. Played at the Sydney Football Stadium, the Fijians fought hard, however were no match against tournament hosts, Australia, going down to the Kangaroos 52-0.
The strong showing in 2008 meant the Fijians automatically qualified for the 2013 world cup, it also meant the Bati were back in Group A of the tournament, and again were placed with England and Australia.
The improving standards of the Fiji national team, plus the increase in Fijian players in the NRL and growth of the sport back in Fiji saw improved performances by the Bati, with the side putting up convincing performances in the group stages to qualify for the tournament quarter-finals.
Fiji defeated Samoa 22 - 4 in the quarters to face the Kangaroos in the tournament semi-final. In front of over 67,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, the Bati again went down to the Kangaroos to miss out on qualifying for the first world cup final.
Fiji's strong performances in the 2008 and 2013 tournaments meant the Bati were an automatic qualifier for 2017.
Domestic Scene
Rugby league is one of the major sports played in the island nation of Fiji, with strong competitions in the two major islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Rugby league is played from a junior level right up until open age in the country, with the Vodafone Cup, the premier national competition.
The Fiji Police Force Sharks are the 2016 Vodafone Cup champions after defeating the Burenitu Cowboys 18-10 in the tournament grand final in Nadi. The Ravoravo Rabbitohs were the reserve grade champions, while the Nadi Eels won the national under-18s championship.
National Team Stats
* Moniker: Bati
Colours: White, Black, Light Blue
* Coach: Mick Potter
* First Test: Fiji 18 were defeated by Western Samoa 32, 1992 Apia, Samoa
* Best World Cup Result: semi-finals (2008, 2013)
Famous Players
Josefa Levula: Levula was the first Fijian player to take up the code of rugby league.
A powerful winger, Levula earned 17 caps for the Fiji National Rugby Union side between 1951 — 1961 before moving to Rochdale in England.
Levula was a sensation in the north of England, playing a number of games for the Hornets before moving to Bradford at the end of his career.
Noa Nadruku: Nadruku was one of the first Fijians signed after Fiji made the move to Rugby League in the early 90s. Part of the Fijian Sevens side in 93, Nadruku was signed up by the Canberra Raiders where he played 92 games between 1993 and 1997 before moving north to Townsville to play two seasons with the Cowboys.
Lote Tuiqiri: Korolevu born Tuqiri may have only played four Tests for the Bati in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, however the Fijian-Australian made his mark in rugby league.
Starting off at the Broncos, Tuiqiri scored 56 tries from 99 appearances for the Brisbane-based club, while also accumulating 6 caps for Queensland and 9 for Australia in just his first three years of professional football.
Migrating to union for seven seasons, Tuqiri returned to league in 2010 where he made an additional 68 appearances in the NRL for both the Wests Tigers and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Petero Civoniceva: A 300 game veteran of the NRL, Civoniceva was one of the most prominent prop forwards to play the game in the early 2000s.
In a career that stretched 14 seasons, Civoniceva made 33 appearances for Queensland and 45 for Australia before finally representing his beloved Fiji in the 2013 World Cup.
Ones to Watch
Heading into the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, lets look at some of the players who will be integral to the success of the Bati in the upcoming tournament.
Kevin Naiqama: Since making his move to the Wests Tigers, Kevin Naiqama has come into his own within the NRL, becoming one of the most exciting finishers within the game. A 10 Test veteran for the Bati, Naiqama will certainly feature in the Fijian's backline for the 2017 World Cup.
Jayson Bukuya: With the experience of the 2008 and 2013 world cups behind him, Bukuya will be expected to lead from the front at this year's World Cup.
A consistent performer in the forwards, the current premiership winning second rower will be seeing 2017 as his opportunity to become the most capped Bati of all time.
Suliasi Vunivalu: Making his NRL debut just last year, Suliasi Vunivalu made an instant impact on the Telstra Premiership in 2016, scoring 23 tries from 21 appearances and playing a pivotal role in the Storm's charge to the Grand Final. A powerful finisher, Suva born Vunivalu will be a favourite to make his Bati debut at the 2017 world cup.
World Cup Group Stages
The Bati come into the Rugby League World Cup 2017 with the prospect of facing three brand new international opponents.
While traditionally grouped with Australia and England, in the 15th Rugby League World Cup, the Pacific Island nation has finally moved out of Group A for the first time since 2008 and will instead face fellow Tier 2 nations, USA, Wales and Italy for the chance to qualify for the world cup semi-finals.
Despite the lack of history between the three sides, Fiji will go into each fixture confident of winning based upon the wealth of NRL talent available for the nation.
source: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=415958
After reaching the semi-finals in the past two tournaments, expectations will be high for the Vodafone Fiji Bati in the upcoming tournament.
History
Despite rugby league first being introduced in country in 1992, Fiji has a history of supplying players to the code since the 1960s. Two of the most famous players to migrate from the Pacific nation to play the thirteen-man code of rugby were Joe Levula and Laitia Ravouvou who moved from Nadi to Rochdale (England).
When rugby league was finally introduced into Fiji, it was thanks to Culden Kamea. Working with the then Australian Rugby League, Kamea pulled together the inaugural Fiji outfit that would take part in the 1992 World Sevens tournament in Sydney.
Coming into the tournament with no expectations, the Fijians surprised everyone by defeating the Canberra Raiders in their opening game, and going on to win the plate title.
The inaugural Fiji domestic competition kicked off the same year with sides from Suva and Nadi.
Fiji's first full international came at the end of 1992 when the 'Bati' would join nine other Pacific nations in the rugby league Pacific Cup.
Drawn with the more experienced Western Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and Niue, the Bati were only able to record a victory against the Kukis of Cook Islands.
This slow start on the international arena would not be a deterrent for the Fijians, with the Bati recording their first international victory against a major rugby league nation just two years later against the French Chanticleers. In that same year, Fiji also finished second in the Pacific Cup, going down 34-11 to Tonga in the final.
Fiji were invited to participate in their first world cup in 1995, drawing tournament hosts, England, plus Australia and South Africa in their pool. Unsurprisingly the English and Australian's were too strong for the Bati, however the Fijians did record a 52-6 victory over the South African Rhinos.
Because of the Super League war, the 1996 Pacific Cup was cancelled, with a "Pacific Challenge" played instead.
Fiji drew a New Zealand XIII side and the Cook Islands, winning both games, with only the Bati and Maori winning both their games.
In 1997, an "Oceania Cup" was played, featuring four Pacific Nations, plus the New Zealand Maori and a New Zealand XIII.
Played in Auckland, only the New Zealand sides qualified for the final, with the Bati defeating Tonga in the fifth Place Playoff.
Fiji's next World Cup was in 2000, with the Bati again drawing England and Australia in the group stages.
Much like 95, the Bati struggled against the two Rugby League powerhouses, recording their only victory over Russia.
For the 2008 world cup, Fiji participated in a qualifying series with other Pacific Island nations. Playing a series of games in Western Sydney, the Bati suffered a tight two-point loss against Samoa, before securing wins over Tonga and the Cook Islands to qualify for the World Cup.
Coming through the qualification route saw the Fijians for the first time grouped with someone other than Australia and England.
The change in groupings worked, and while Fiji only secured one win in the group stages (a 42-6 win over France in Wollongong), they finished top of their pool to draw Ireland in the tournament semi-final qualifiers.
Played on the Gold Coast, the Fijians were simply too strong, running out 30-14 victors to make their first world cup semi-finals. Played at the Sydney Football Stadium, the Fijians fought hard, however were no match against tournament hosts, Australia, going down to the Kangaroos 52-0.
The strong showing in 2008 meant the Fijians automatically qualified for the 2013 world cup, it also meant the Bati were back in Group A of the tournament, and again were placed with England and Australia.
The improving standards of the Fiji national team, plus the increase in Fijian players in the NRL and growth of the sport back in Fiji saw improved performances by the Bati, with the side putting up convincing performances in the group stages to qualify for the tournament quarter-finals.
Fiji defeated Samoa 22 - 4 in the quarters to face the Kangaroos in the tournament semi-final. In front of over 67,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, the Bati again went down to the Kangaroos to miss out on qualifying for the first world cup final.
Fiji's strong performances in the 2008 and 2013 tournaments meant the Bati were an automatic qualifier for 2017.
Domestic Scene
Rugby league is one of the major sports played in the island nation of Fiji, with strong competitions in the two major islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Rugby league is played from a junior level right up until open age in the country, with the Vodafone Cup, the premier national competition.
The Fiji Police Force Sharks are the 2016 Vodafone Cup champions after defeating the Burenitu Cowboys 18-10 in the tournament grand final in Nadi. The Ravoravo Rabbitohs were the reserve grade champions, while the Nadi Eels won the national under-18s championship.
National Team Stats
* Moniker: Bati
Colours: White, Black, Light Blue
* Coach: Mick Potter
* First Test: Fiji 18 were defeated by Western Samoa 32, 1992 Apia, Samoa
* Best World Cup Result: semi-finals (2008, 2013)
Famous Players
Josefa Levula: Levula was the first Fijian player to take up the code of rugby league.
A powerful winger, Levula earned 17 caps for the Fiji National Rugby Union side between 1951 — 1961 before moving to Rochdale in England.
Levula was a sensation in the north of England, playing a number of games for the Hornets before moving to Bradford at the end of his career.
Noa Nadruku: Nadruku was one of the first Fijians signed after Fiji made the move to Rugby League in the early 90s. Part of the Fijian Sevens side in 93, Nadruku was signed up by the Canberra Raiders where he played 92 games between 1993 and 1997 before moving north to Townsville to play two seasons with the Cowboys.
Lote Tuiqiri: Korolevu born Tuqiri may have only played four Tests for the Bati in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, however the Fijian-Australian made his mark in rugby league.
Starting off at the Broncos, Tuiqiri scored 56 tries from 99 appearances for the Brisbane-based club, while also accumulating 6 caps for Queensland and 9 for Australia in just his first three years of professional football.
Migrating to union for seven seasons, Tuqiri returned to league in 2010 where he made an additional 68 appearances in the NRL for both the Wests Tigers and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Petero Civoniceva: A 300 game veteran of the NRL, Civoniceva was one of the most prominent prop forwards to play the game in the early 2000s.
In a career that stretched 14 seasons, Civoniceva made 33 appearances for Queensland and 45 for Australia before finally representing his beloved Fiji in the 2013 World Cup.
Ones to Watch
Heading into the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, lets look at some of the players who will be integral to the success of the Bati in the upcoming tournament.
Kevin Naiqama: Since making his move to the Wests Tigers, Kevin Naiqama has come into his own within the NRL, becoming one of the most exciting finishers within the game. A 10 Test veteran for the Bati, Naiqama will certainly feature in the Fijian's backline for the 2017 World Cup.
Jayson Bukuya: With the experience of the 2008 and 2013 world cups behind him, Bukuya will be expected to lead from the front at this year's World Cup.
A consistent performer in the forwards, the current premiership winning second rower will be seeing 2017 as his opportunity to become the most capped Bati of all time.
Suliasi Vunivalu: Making his NRL debut just last year, Suliasi Vunivalu made an instant impact on the Telstra Premiership in 2016, scoring 23 tries from 21 appearances and playing a pivotal role in the Storm's charge to the Grand Final. A powerful finisher, Suva born Vunivalu will be a favourite to make his Bati debut at the 2017 world cup.
World Cup Group Stages
The Bati come into the Rugby League World Cup 2017 with the prospect of facing three brand new international opponents.
While traditionally grouped with Australia and England, in the 15th Rugby League World Cup, the Pacific Island nation has finally moved out of Group A for the first time since 2008 and will instead face fellow Tier 2 nations, USA, Wales and Italy for the chance to qualify for the world cup semi-finals.
Despite the lack of history between the three sides, Fiji will go into each fixture confident of winning based upon the wealth of NRL talent available for the nation.
