21-year-old Meli Tuni never imagined being called up for the Fijian Drua.

The news of his selection came as a surprise for the Tailevu man but, he is determined to put in the hard yards when the Drua makes its maiden Super Rugby Pacific appearance.

Speaking to FBC Sports, the former RKS student says he was convinced he would not make the cut.

“I was convinced that only the experienced players will join the Drua to compete in Super Rugby. We have a lot of talented players in Fiji and competition to be part of a national team is very tight. For this reason i thought i was never going to be part of the Drua.”

The Suva prop was included in FRU’s High Performance Unit from high school and worked his way up.

His consistent performance for the capital side in the Skipper Cup competition spoke volume of his abilities.

“I came through the school boys pathway, joined the U20 team in 2019 then played for the Fiji Warriors last year. I was so surprised to even join the wider squad but i know that i’ve come through the ranks, played the game, endured training and now it’s all about hard-work.”

Tuni is locked in on training, determined to make the core 15 for the Drua.