"Over his career, Serevi had been well taken care of with his employers in Japan, England and France feeding, clothing and sheltering both he and his family.
"That support had come at a cost; without a manager advising him against signing such deals, Serevi was in effect a 'subsistence' professional paid just enough to support his family and survive.
"What little money he had been able to save over the years had been given away to an army of distant relations, as was the expectation of successful members of society in the Pacific Islands."
To add insult to injury, Serevi was subject to a tax audit soon after being sacked as the coach of Fiji and was forced to borrow money from a friend to clear his F$6000 ($4000) debt. With his pride dented, Serevi battled depression and alcoholism.
"As problems compounded around him, he slipped deeper into depression and alcohol addiction.
"Friends and family tried to guide him back but his demons threatened to drown him. Eventually, even his closest supporters turned their backs. Through those dark days, Serevi felt that only God remained. For a deeply religious man, he was truly walking through the shadow of the valley of death."
After an ill-fated attempt at coaching Papua New Guinea - the home and salary he was promised never eventuated - a trip to Vancouver to play for a Fijian invitational team proved life-changing.
After meeting Semi Lotawa of the Seattle-based Old Puget Sound rugby club, the wheels starting turning for Serevi to start a new life in the United States.
He arrived with nothing but some clothes and his rugby boots but, with the help of some key figures in the Seattle rugby scene, he set up a life that sees him remain in the US to this day.
"Serevi will never forget the extraordinary kindness and generosity of Chris and Julie Prentice which in every sense 'saved him'.
"To coach in the United States after a lifetime spent mainly in Fiji was a challenge unlike anything Serevi had previously faced. Children in Fiji grow up blessed with an innate understanding of rugby. They quickly develop an inordinate array of skills through daily participation in their national sport. American children have no such advantage."
And while Seattle is now home for Serevi, "Fiji still calls his name" and he plans to one day return to his homeland, this time in a far better place.
- South China Morning Post
