The life of a Super Rugby Player

Fly My Winged Child
Through the eyes of a Flying Fijian mum

His Debut

The Super Rugby XV is a rugby competition played between 15 different State and Regional clubs in countries across Argentina, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Ben and members of the
Waratah backline 2013

Ben debut for the New South Wales Waratahs in 2013 in their game against the Queensland Reds. I was fortunate to have been able to witness this because it was in this match that he also scored his first try.

I remember sitting in the stadium with friends and family who had no idea how nervous I was.

Prior to the match a cousin of mine and I drove to the hotel to see Ben to wish him good luck. He had caught the cold but was in good spirits. He was finally going to do what he had dreamed of for such a long time and that was to finally play for a Super Rugby team.

As I sat in the stadium nervously watching the teams run out on the field, I caught a glimpse of him. He wore the number 22 on his back. A reserve back.

The Queensland Reds bolted out of the gates like Phar Lap during his reign as the greatest Australian thoroughbred horse that has ever lived. The Reds had come to play!

Although slow at the start, the Waratahs finally found a rhythm in their game and started to gain momentum. But no sooner had they started finding a rhythm in their game, the game had reached the end of the first half.

As the second half started, I looked out for Ben again and he was there on the bench waiting patiently to replace whoever Coach Cheika was going to call off. The players were all playing so well and as a parent you can only hope that your child at least gets a chance to play. But then again this is high level elite rugby and everyone is just as good as the other. In fact, I have told Ben and other players who I have known over the years, that a win for the team is not just for those who play. It is also just as much a win for those on the reserve bench and the entire squad.

You see players who actually play the game perform at the standard they do because they are being pushed to play at that level by those who are waiting eagerly in the team to take that spot off them. The stronger your reserve bench is, the more competition there will always be in the team. And competitiveness brings out the best from every player in the squad.

Then just as I had hoped, I saw Ben stand up from the bench and was starting to stretch. My heart started racing and I couldn’t sit down any longer because I knew that this was going to be his moment. And I was right.

As they introduced him on the field, my friends and family went wild! The dream that he had kept so close to his heart was finally being realized at this very moment.

I was proud, I was emotional and a nervous wreck! My child who would stick a list of goals on his bedroom wall could now cross this one off ie. Play in a Super Rugby team.
Ben Volavola Debut Try

And if his debut wasn’t enough to make me tear up with gratitude, it was the buildup and the execution of his try that had me screaming “go son, go son, go son” and then a fist punch in the air! His try narrowed the score against the Reds and as much as we did not win that day. He was a winner in my eyes!

2014 Super Rugby Champs

Whilst with the Waratahs Ben became part of the Super Rugby team that won the Super Rugby Competition in 2014.  I remember that night so well. It felt like all of NSW was at the game and although he did not play, I was very proud of him and his contribution to the team.

This is work not just a game

During Ben’s first year as a Super Rugby New South Wales Waratah player, I had to get used to the idea of him saying he was heading to work when he would head off to the Waratah Head Office.

For me professional rugby was simply a sport where you would go and train with your team-mates and play your game every weekend.

I soon learnt that that there was so much more than that and I finally appreciated it that it was indeed his work. As I would put on my business suit and shoes with my laptop bag thrown over my shoulder, Ben’s work clothes were a Waratah Polo shirt, short or tracksuit pants and a sports bag over his shoulder.

His week would involve, gym sessions, in room game plan meetings, media and PR sessions, corporate promotion campaigns, skills sessions and on the field practice to name but a few. This was the case in all other franchises that he had the opportunity to play for. And on top off all that, he was pursuing a Diploma in Business which he completed in 2014.

The competition is not just on the field

Often people see an elite sports player and forget that there was a journey that got them to where they are. It is not a box of chocolates or a bed of roses, in fact, for Ben, Milan, my mum and I, it has been a lot of hard work and sacrifice. The truth of the matter is that this professional rugby life is competitive. The competition doesn’t just happen on the field it also happens off the field.

As a parent you can only hope and pray for the best for your child that coaches will see the talent and give him or her a chance to show that talent.

In this journey there are many promises made that have been broken and disappointments experienced. But as much as there are disappointments, there are also many great opportunities for these boys who play rugby at this elite level. For us, we took the good with the bad and always chose to rise above it all.

After 2 years with the Waratahs, Ben was given the opportunity to play with the Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch, New Zealand. What a privilege this was because the Crusaders are multiple winners of the Super Rugby competition and are considered the Kings of Super Rugby.

It was such a great experience for Ben because he got to play alongside some of the All Black greats such as Kieran Reid, Owen Franks and Israel Dagg. It was mind blowing; and I had an amazing time watching him play for the Red and Black.

I was always a fan of the Crusaders so his involvement with this franchise made me extremely happy although having him living in a different country was a challenge for me. I missed him dearly, but I had to learn to accept the fact that this came with his profession.

On the off season, he played for the Canterbury Rugby Team in the Mitre 10 New Zealand competition where they won the competition in 2015. What an achievement this was. 

It was after his stint with the Crusaders, Ben moved on and joined the Melbourne Rebels. I was happy that he was back in the country only an hour by plane from me. Even happier that he was now staying with a family who we had never met before but who have now become dear family friends of ours.

After his year with Melbourne Rebels, he was offered an opportunity to play for North Harbour in Auckland in the Mitre 10 cup which was played at the end of the Super Rugby competition. He had the best experience and was so fortunate that he  got to stay with one of my best friends who I had met whilst studying at Tauranga Girls’ College. It was after this stint, that he moved to play in France first at Bordeaux and then with Racing where he now is.

As a mother who has been on this rugby journey since this child was 9, you would think that I would know everything that went on with him but honestly that is not always the case. I don't always know when something is going on with my child. 

Sometimes I wouldn’t know till much later about what was happening with my son.  There was a moment when Ben was coming off a contract that he had nothing in place. I’m talking about having no offers on the table and he could be 3 months away from the end of his current contract. But it is his faith to trust in the giver of the gift, Jesus, rather than in his own gift and to continue to be diligent in honing his craft, is what I believe has always opened up a door.

The reality is that although the opportunities continued to come for Ben, he has never rested on his laurels. Elite rugby players in general know that they have to ensure they are playing at their best all the time because there is always going to be someone else who is ready to step up to the plate. If anything, Ben like many others realise that they are replaceable and so the approach is to work with an attitude of knowing that you have got to be the best version of you every day. 

So many dream the dream and a few live it. For Ben his dream to becoming a Super Rugby player was instilled in him when he started coming through the ranks of junior rugby. He dreamed the dream and eventually lived his dream.

He now lives in France and continues to live his dream playing in the Top 14 French Competition.

Next Chapter: The pathway to becoming a Flying Fijian