National Fijian sevens rugby coach Waisale Serevi wants former Blues player and flying wing Rupeni Caucaunibuca in his Commonwealth Games squad.
The Fiji Times reported today that Serevi, a sevens legend, wants Caucaunibuca back in the fold despite the Fiji Rugby Union banning him for 12 months from August after
failing to join the national team for their matches in June and July.
However, the ban was ineffective outside Fiji as Caucaunibuca kept playing and scoring tries for his club, Agen, in France.
"He's a good man. We can't keep looking at the past; we have to start looking forward and help him out," Serevi said.
"But I want to talk to him and get him into the team first to help him out."
Caucaunibuca failed to turn up for Fiji's match against New Zealand Maori in June after flying back from France, where he plays for Agen and is one of the country's top try-scorers.
He told the union he had to return to his village to perform customary duties.
He later failed to board the plane taking the team to Samoa for a South Pacific tri-series match, saying his wife had become sick.
He also failed to turn up for a later flight arranged by the union.
Caucaunibuca and Canterbury wing Filimoni Delasau are two players Serevi said would be needed in Melbourne in March.
Delasau was suspended in September from playing for a year after testing positive for cannabis.
Serevi will meet Fiji Rugby Union executives tomorrow on Caucaunibuca and Delasau.
Fiji won the second leg of the international sevens series in South Africa earlier this month, and along with New Zealand have dominated the game, but a Commonwealth games gold medal is the one title that has eluded Fiji.
- NZPA
