Rugby

Rotuisolia under Raiwalui's radar

July 24, 2023 6:54 am

Ratu Leone Rotuisolia with fans.

Losing Fiji Water Flying Fijians lock Api Ratuniyarawa to French Top 14 club Bayonne as a World Cup cover has opened up another opportunity for a player not in the national squad.

Head coach Simon Raiwalui is now hunting for another lock.

One player that’s now under Raiwalui’s radar is Fijian Drua lock Ratu Leone Rotuisolia.

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Rotuisolia was not in the initial extended squad but now has an opportunity to prove himself.

Raiwalui says Rotuisolia is in Australia but the coaching team will have to collectively agree on who has to come in.

“We’ll obviously look for probably one more lock to come in the squad so we’ll check on how (Ratu Leone) Rotusolia’s going over in Australia. We have talked to him before the squad was initially in and what we needed from him so all the coaches will sit down and see what specifically we looking for  with this position.”

Meanwhile, Raiwalui says no new player will replace Peceli Yato who removed himself from camp last week.

The Flying Fijians play Samoa on Saturday in Apia.