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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) visited\u00a0former Fiji national rugby union team representative Tom Mitchell at his residence in Raiwai, recognizing his contributions as a member of the Flying Fijians\u00a0during the 1980s.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0delegation was led\u00a0by FRU Chief Executive Officer Mr Koli Sewabu and\u00a0FRU Chairman Board\u00a0of\u00a0Directors Mr John Sanday, accompanied\u00a0by other union officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The visit provided\u00a0an opportunity to honour Mr Mitchell\u2019s service to Fiji rugby and\u00a0to reflect on his experiences representing the nation in 1986.<\/p>\n
Mr Mitchell was part of the Flying Fijians squad\u00a0in 1986,\u00a0that travelled to Nuku\u2019alofa to play against the Tongan national rugby team in what became his debute to many test matches to follow including an appearance for the Flying Fijians in the 1987 Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
Known for his speed,\u00a0determination, and\u00a0strong on-field\u00a0presence, Mr Mitchell earned\u00a0recognition as a committed\u00a0and\u00a0disciplined\u00a0player who upheld\u00a0the values of Fijian rugby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His contributions in 1986 came at a time when the national team was building its identity and\u00a0gaining respect on the international stage.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Mr Mitchell fondly recalled\u00a0his early rugby\u00a0days and\u00a0the journey that led\u00a0him to wear the white jersey.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He spoke of the sacrifices made, the camaraderie among teammates, and\u00a0the immense pride of representing Fiji as a Flying Fijian.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying for Fiji in 1986 remains one of the greatest honours of my life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe played\u00a0with passion and\u00a0pride, and\u00a0every match meant everything to us and\u00a0to the people back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
FRU Chairman Mr John Sanday acknowledged\u00a0the importance of former Flying Fijians such as Mitchell, noting their role in laying the groundwork for Fiji\u2019s global rugby reputation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlayers like Tom Mitchell helped\u00a0define what it means to be a Flying Fijian. Their commitment continues to inspire our current generation of players,\u201d Mr Sanday stated.<\/p>\n
Mr Sanday also emphasized\u00a0the value of recognizing past representatives.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cOur legacy is built on those who wore the jersey before. It is important that we honour and\u00a0celebrate individuals like Tom, whose contributions remain a vital part of our rugby history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The visit is part of the FRU\u2019s broader initiative to reconnect with former players, preserve the rich heritage of Fiji rugby, and\u00a0strengthen the bond\u00a0between past and present generations.<\/p>\n
The Fiji Rugby Union extends its sincere appreciation to Tom Mitchell for his service as a Flying Fijian and\u00a0wishes him continued\u00a0well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) visited\u00a0former Fiji national rugby union team representative Tom Mitchell at his residence in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":625233,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-625232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/625233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}