Taina Basiyalo 
Xavier College student Pio Nakaibasaga
Xavier College student Pio Nakaibasaga made the most of his opportunity to shine at his first McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast 7s, representing the Pacific Nomads Youth team.
The 17-year-old shared that he grew up watching live coverage of the tournament at home, vowing that one day he would step onto the pitch to showcase his talent.
Nakaibasaga played a crucial role in his team’s impressive 43-0 victory over Nauru, scoring a try and demonstrating his potential at the tournament.
Reflecting on the experience, he says he is grateful for the opportunity, noting that he blended seamlessly with the team despite meeting his teammates just two days before the tournament.
“When I got the call up after my form 6 exams, I thought to myself, this is a great opportunity into other open doors out there and I said yes to be part of this team and I’m glad to see how far we have come.”
Nakaibasaga is already looking ahead to next year’s tournament, saying he is ready to accept any offer to play.
For the Ba native, the ultimate dream remains clear and that’s to don the Fijian national jersey when the time is right.
The Pacific Nomads Youth will face the Southland Broncos in the cup quarter-final at 4.10pm.
You can catch all the LIVE and EXCLUSIVE action on FBC Sports.
