Talei Matairakula 
Daniele Yaya [Source: Fiji Rugby]
Injuries often prompt sportsmen and women to give up on their dreams.
However, this wasn’t the case for Raiwasa Taveuni player, Daniele Yaya who pushed through a knee injury and pressure from close family to give up rugby.
The Nukubalavu lad from Savusavu says while on rehab, those closest to him were convinced that his career was over.
But he firmly believed that one day he will get to don the white jumper.
“I was in the village one day we were drinking beer, one of my uncle including my dad they told me that my rugby career was over because I injured my knee. That was a motivation for me.”
His perseverance has paid off as he is now part of the national 7s squad and part of the 15 that has been selected for the Dubai 7s tournament.
Yaya says he will keep knocking on the Fiji 7s door until he gets his chance to represent the nation in the World Sevens Series.
The back-to-back Dubai 7s tournament is scheduled for next weekend and the 3rd and 4th of next month.
| POOL A | P | W | D | L | PD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIJ | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 9 |
| AUS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 7 |
| FRA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 5 |
| CAN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -41 | 3 |
| POOL B | P | W | D | L | PD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARG | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 8 |
| USA | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| KEN | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| ESP | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -30 | 5 |
| POOL C | P | W | D | L | PD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 9 |
| GBR | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | -7 | 7 |
| IRE | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| JPN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -78 | 3 |
