'We won't forget them': Sacrifices driving Silktails in home-coming game

Kaiviti Silktails players will dedicate their homecoming match to the former teammates who missed the birth of children or passing of relatives while based in Sydney for the past two seasons.

The Silktails, who were admitted to the NSWRL Ron Massey Cup in 2020, will play their first home match in Fiji since the opening round of their inaugural season.

The match against the Bulldogs is expected to be played before a capacity 15,000 crowd at Churchill Park on Saturday.

“It’s pretty much been a three year wait for us,” Silktails executive director Stephen Driscoll said. “We had one match before the 2020 season got called off and then organised ourselves to be based in Sydney for the next two seasons.

“It’s good to now be able to implement some of the strategies we had planned three years ago.”

Silktails co-captain Sunia Naruma is the only survivor from the club’s first match against Windsor Wolves more than three years ago, although Canterbury skipper Penioni Tagituimua also played for the Lautoka-based club.

Tagituimua, whose father is the Fiji Bati pastor, will toss the coin before kick-off with his cousin Rusiate Baleitamavua, who co-captains the Silktails with Naruma.

"The last two years it was a bit hard coming into the team as one of the youngest boys and I have learned a lot, especially being away from my family," Naruma said.

"It was a bit difficult with our families back at home and we didn't get to see them for the whole season. Now being able to play back in Fiji for the first time is really good and makes us happy to play in front of family and friends.

Some of the boys missed the birth of their children, some of them missed the passing of loved ones.

"But they were the sacrifices boys made in order to pursue a better future in the sport that we love.

"In the squad there are a lot of new faces who have come to play but we won't forget our brothers who have led the pathway and who have made all of the sacrifices for this club."

Silktails chairman Petero Civoniceva paid tribute to Driscoll for enabling the club to continue playing when international borders were closed.

The Silktails have established an NRL standard high performance centre in Lautoka, along with a network of training hubs around Fiji.   

“We have set up seven training hubs around Fiji and there will be three more opening soon so that young players can train while actually staying where they live," Civoniceva said.

"That has been a game changer for developing young players in Fiji."

The Silktails hosted the PNG Hunters, who play in the Queensland Cup, in the Melanesian Bowl last month but Saturday's match is the first Ron Massey Cup fixture in Fiji since March 14, 2020.

Bulldogs coach Shane Millard said his players were looking forward to being the first team to play the Silktails in Fiji for more than three years.

“It is a great spot and the players are excited about playing in Fiji," Millard said.

“The interest is enormous and since I got here there have been people talking about the game."

The match will be played as a double-header with the Melanesian Cup between PNG's Digicel Cup winners, Hela Wigmen, and Fiji champions, the Western Maroons.