HER DESIRE to become a forensic scientist has seen the daughter of Fijian rugby sevens whiz Waisale Serevi start this week at Wanganui Collegiate School.
And Serevi hopes to have his two other children, Asinate, 12, and Waisale Junr, seven, also go through the school in the wake of 14-year-old Unaisi.
The
Serevi family's desire for an overseas education has been fuelled by the recommendation from Unaisi's Fijian teacher Ana Vosaki, herself a former Wanganui Collegiate student.
And his reason for seeking a New Zealand education for Unaisi?
"I wanted her to go to a new school, to come abroad and try to get some good education, to work harder and go to university and then try to work and stay in New Zealand," Serevi said. "Her afternoon lessons teacher, Ana Vosaki, went to Collegiate herself and recommended Collegiate."
Waisale Serevi, hero of many a rugby sevens triumph for Fiji over many years, was thankfully for him travelling with his family to Wanganui on Saturday night and missed Fiji's failure to make the Wellington International Sevens final.
"When I got to Auckland Airport, my phone was full of messages telling me all about it," Serevi said yesterday.
He's no longer with the Fijian Rugby Union, instead he's joined the Taiwan Rugby Union's attempt to qualify for the 2009 World Cup Sevens.
He either played or coached the Fijian sevens for 20 years.
The family clearly retains a sports focus. Asinate and Unaisi love their netball, and the new Collegiate pupil is a goal shoot at home.
But young Waisale? How's his rugby?
"We went to the shop, bought a rugby ball and gave it to him," said dad. "He threw it away and picked up the soccer ball and started kicking. We went to the wrong shop!"
But he is worried about that?
No.
"I'll support him whatever he wants to do," said Waisale Senr.
