[Source:Canterbury Bulldogs]
The Fiji rugby league community is in mourning following the passing of former Fijian international and former Canterbury Bulldogs junior rep, Mesake Ravonu.
He passed away at the age of 22 on Monday in Nadi after losing his battle to kidney disease.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs released a statement saying they are deeply saddened by the passing of their former Jersey Flegg player.
The Buretu villager from Tailevu made his Fiji Bati debut at the 2023 Pacific Championship.
He was forced to retire in 2024 and returned home after his diagnosis.
The Bulldogs said that Ravonu became a Bulldog ahead of the 2022 season when he joined the Jersey Flegg team.
However, his first season was cut short by two serious injuries, but his resilience and determination were rewarded the following year when he was selected in the Fiji Bati squad for the Pacific Championships — a proud moment for his family.
In 2024, he moved into the Bulldogs’ New South Wales Cup squad. However, he was forced into premature medical retirement after it was discovered he had been living with an auto-immune kidney disease.
The Bulldogs family will forever remember Mesake’s determination, infectious smile, and the joy he brought to everyone around him.
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Akuila Cama 