It was a single photograph capturing Semi Radradra’s meteoric stride that brought him to the attention of rugby’s top scouts. The image marked the beginning of a transition from a very different life.
At the time, Radradra had been working down the Vatukoula gold mines in Fiji. Workers are known to be killed by rockfalls and, as a teenager, Radradra would risk his life for two dollars an hour.
“It was tough, really tough, but I had to provide for my family,” says Radradra, settling into his first interview since signing for Bristol Bears, Dailymail reports.
“I worked at the mines for seven months, before the 2011 Junior World Cup in Italy.”
“You dig holes, drill and collect gold. There was a lot of gold but the money was not enough for a seat meal. You are scared when you go down, you know, because you never know if you’ll make it out alive again. You could go down maybe 100 metres. You jump in the lift with your helmet and overalls at 7am — and come back up at 3.30pm.”
“It’s a tough situation. It makes me appreciate being here now. It’s an honour. When life is hard, or the game is tough, I always think about home. I have to keep working.”
Radradra’s mining job came about by chance. He had just moved to the Fijian mainland after a local coach spotted him playing rugby in his village. The boat journey took almost two days.
Leaving behind his family on the remote island of Taveuni, Radradra would send his wages back home.
He had always been the family’s best farmer — establishing himself as the breadwinner because his father and eldest brother both suffered from a lung condition.
Money was tight but Radradra’s sporting gift was the family’s ticket out of poverty. Overseas scouts noticed his talent and he signed his first rugby league contract in Sydney, following a stint with the Fijian Sevens team.
‘My professional journey started because of a photo,’ he says.
‘They had only seen a photo of me playing for Fiji U20s in Italy. It was just my legs! They liked the muscle on my legs and the way I ran!
“It was always in the back of my mind that one day I would leave for rugby. I was not good in school. All I was good at was farming and rugby. You leave home to support your family and that’s what motivates me. My dad has a lung disease and my brother was diagnosed with TB when he was 15.”
“Life back home is not easy, but it is a nice lifestyle. No traffic, no hassle… it’s peaceful. Our house was just big enough for everyone to sleep on the floor. In the villages in Fiji, we all sleep on the floor.”
“You hardly ever find a bed. If the family can afford a bed, then good, but if not you sleep on the floor. I miss that life every single day. Thinking about home motivates me to keep going.”
“I received a call from the Parramatta Eels saying: ‘Do you want to try rugby league?’ I said: ‘Yes, but I haven’t played it before and I’ve hardly watched it’. They said they would teach me so they booked me a flight over the next morning. That was my journey.”
Radradra scored 82 tries in 94 appearances and became one of the most feared players in the world. Prolific at both wing and centre. But it was back in the fields of Somosomo where he perfected his skills as a child.
