Burra U14s Fiji Tour 2005

The Nite

2006-05-28T21:13:00.000+10:00

It was an exceptional nite. Call me sentimental, soft in the head but it was a great night. Here are some more shots of what went on.

Marcus

2006-05-28T16:45:00.000+10:00

The Players Player of Fiji.

The Presentations

2006-05-28T16:38:00.000+10:00

The presos. The Mums who got us there, the Entourage who kept it together.

The most important the players

The Last Cuvu Cuvu

2006-05-28T16:02:00.000+10:00

Six months after the end of the tour we final had closure on a very memorable adventure. Last night we had a holiday pics and video showing at burra club. Nibblies, pizzas, chicken wings and garlic bread and don't forget the alcohol (which was responsibly served). We even had our own Karva ceremony to celebrate the joining of the two tribes of those who went and those that stayed home.

It was a great night and we missed catching up with Aaron (who recieved the award for highest points scored) Nick and Keith R and Christian.

Marcus C received the players player of the tour. This award was voted by the boys and was well earnt by Marcus. To share the night some more with you here are some photos from the night.

aarons water boy

2005-10-12T10:29:00.000+10:00

aarons water boy
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Aarons song

2005-10-12T10:28:00.001+10:00

Aarons song
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Are we really going

2005-10-12T10:28:00.000+10:00

Are we really going
Originally uploaded by harley316.

arriving back at plantation

2005-10-12T10:27:00.002+10:00

arriving back at plantation
Originally uploaded by harley316.

big wigs arrive

2005-10-12T10:27:00.001+10:00

big wigs arrive
Originally uploaded by harley316.

billy boiling

2005-10-12T10:27:00.000+10:00

billy boiling
Originally uploaded by harley316.

boat and nick

2005-10-12T10:26:00.002+10:00

boat and nick
Originally uploaded by harley316.

breakfast

2005-10-12T10:26:00.001+10:00

breakfast
Originally uploaded by harley316.

bring it on

2005-10-12T10:26:00.000+10:00

bring it on
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Buffalo souldier

2005-10-12T10:25:00.003+10:00

Buffalo souldier
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Bulla song 2

2005-10-12T10:25:00.002+10:00

Bulla song 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Bure

2005-10-12T10:25:00.001+10:00

Bure
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Burra has arrived

2005-10-12T10:25:00.000+10:00

Burra has arrived
Originally uploaded by harley316.

butta2

2005-10-12T10:24:00.002+10:00

butta2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

buttas and ace

2005-10-12T10:24:00.001+10:00

buttas and ace
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Can i go now

2005-10-12T10:24:00.000+10:00

Can i go now
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Celebration

2005-10-12T10:23:00.002+10:00

Celebration
Originally uploaded by harley316.

church and community hall

2005-10-12T10:23:00.001+10:00

church and community hall
Originally uploaded by harley316.

coachs skirt

2005-10-12T10:23:00.000+10:00

coachs skirt
Originally uploaded by harley316.

cuvu school

2005-10-12T10:22:00.003+10:00

cuvu school
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Dads night 1 fijian

2005-10-12T10:22:00.002+10:00

Dads night 1 fijian
Originally uploaded by harley316.

day 2 we are stuffed

2005-10-12T10:22:00.001+10:00

day 2 we are stuffed
Originally uploaded by harley316.

dinner

2005-10-12T10:22:00.000+10:00

dinner
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Dom and Kuki 2

2005-10-12T10:21:00.001+10:00

Dom and Kuki 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

emohe rou

2005-10-12T10:21:00.000+10:00

emohe rou
Originally uploaded by harley316.

end of game 2 2

2005-10-12T10:20:00.002+10:00

end of game 2 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

first international

2005-10-12T10:20:00.001+10:00

first international
Originally uploaded by harley316.

game 3 2

2005-10-12T10:20:00.000+10:00

game 3 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

lovu 2

2005-10-12T10:19:00.002+10:00

lovu 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Goodbye boys 2

2005-10-12T10:19:00.001+10:00

Goodbye boys 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

gotch ya

2005-10-12T10:19:00.000+10:00

gotch ya
Originally uploaded by harley316.

haka 1

2005-10-12T10:18:00.002+10:00

haka 1
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Haka 2

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Haka 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Haka 3

2005-10-12T10:18:00.000+10:00

Haka 3
Originally uploaded by harley316.

half time 1

2005-10-12T10:17:00.001+10:00

half time 1
Originally uploaded by harley316.

mates chilling out

2005-10-12T10:17:00.000+10:00

mates chilling out
Originally uploaded by harley316.

i lost my skirt again

2005-10-12T10:16:00.001+10:00

i lost my skirt again
Originally uploaded by harley316.

leftys speech

2005-10-12T10:16:00.000+10:00

leftys speech
Originally uploaded by harley316.

off to game 2

2005-10-12T10:15:00.003+10:00

off to game 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Our home for 3 days

2005-10-12T10:15:00.002+10:00

Our home for 3 days
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Our hosts are great

2005-10-12T10:15:00.001+10:00

Our hosts are great
Originally uploaded by harley316.

nadro wins

2005-10-12T10:15:00.000+10:00

nadro wins
Originally uploaded by harley316.

our plaque

2005-10-12T10:14:00.002+10:00

our plaque
Originally uploaded by harley316.

pre match entertainment 10

2005-10-12T10:14:00.001+10:00

pre match entertainment 10
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Ratu dennis a

2005-10-12T10:14:00.000+10:00

Ratu dennis a
Originally uploaded by harley316.

the boys communion

2005-10-12T10:12:00.000+10:00

the boys communion
Originally uploaded by harley316.

the view at high tide

2005-10-12T10:11:00.002+10:00

the view at high tide
Originally uploaded by harley316.

the warrior

2005-10-12T10:11:00.001+10:00

the warrior
Originally uploaded by harley316.

water water

2005-10-12T10:11:00.000+10:00

water water
Originally uploaded by harley316.

way cool coach

2005-10-12T10:10:00.002+10:00

way cool coach
Originally uploaded by harley316.

where did he come from

2005-10-12T10:10:00.001+10:00

where did he come from
Originally uploaded by harley316.

yeah coach

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yeah coach
Originally uploaded by harley316.

You will train

2005-10-12T10:09:00.000+10:00

You will train
Originally uploaded by harley316.

After game 2

2005-10-12T09:38:00.000+10:00

After game 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

The boys after their second game

A Dad's Perspective - Our last Day

2005-10-03T16:05:00.000+10:00

Hi its Ivan, well sorry guys that we have not posted previously but internet access where we stayed was impossible, it would be an understatement to say that these last 3 days the team spent in the village under the care and hospitality of the Fijians will remain an unforgettable memory for the kids as for the fathers.

The 3rd game played against the school team of Cuvo was a great game with our boys getting away with 3 tries in the first half, one scored by Aaron by a great break from the back, one from Lefty who still thinks he is a back sprinting out to the corner and John Morely with Patrick converting 2 goals. The second half the heat set in together with a sense of complaceny saw the opposition score enough points to overwhelm us in a close game 25 to 19.

The loss whilst never welcome, was well accepted after seeing the joy on the opposition faces. ( Not to mention the avoidance of a major international incident).

This was followed buy another Kava ceremony which we participated in due to our diplomatic sensitivities to our cultural hosts. These Kava drinking ceremonies often seemed to end up with the dads trying to get numbed out so that they could put up with each others snoring in the communal bure, interdispersed with the kids chemical and biological warfare during the night , with no gas masks dropping from the thatched ceiling.

We were extremely well fed and the sight of the kids eating mashed potatoes, other non recognisable vegetables and coleslaw with their fingers sitting on woven mats was a sight to be seen.

The great work done by the parents and organisers of all the kids to get them there, and sadly those who were left behind, will never be forgotten or underestimated, as it as an experience the boys will treasure for all of their lives.

The mothers should be happy that the village was declared a non alchohol zone for the Sat and Sun by the Methodist preachers, which saw the dads placed in a precarious position with the only alternative being the Fijian Kava drink which is the most amazing sight when they mix it up and strain the tree roots through a footy sock causing a mud like substance to wash through their fingers only to be picked or scooped up with a coconut cup/shell.

Rijnard was quick to pick up that the cups came in two sizes one with a nipple and one without. The nipple cup was the bigger one, and the non nipple one the smaller one. Due to the taste of this mud like substance and the look of the Fijians faces as they seemed to force it down, coincided with our requests for the nippled cup to only be filled to low tide height. Ie only half full.

On the last night in the village with the last problematic Kava drinkers not wishing to offend the hosts, Steve Morely, David Coles , Rijhard and myself were slow to evacuate as the other fathers slowly left under various excuses like checking up on the kids and the NRL, Steve Morely made the fatal mistake of asking to be excused during the middle of a bowl being made up.

Well the complications of what was becoming an incident parallel to the Cuban Missile Crises was only avoided by Steve realising that peace could only be achieved if he sat back down.

He did that and whilst we were hoping that all the shops that sold the stuff were now closed in the village, and as we finished what we thought was the last bowl, Ace the Hulk Hogan look alike giant Fijian Warrior informed us that for him Kava was available 24 hours 7 Days a week in the village.

The look of horror on our faces must have made our hosts feel sorry for us as two more bowls later we were dismissed.

Back to the kids, just as well we were not doing an under 16's tour as the 14's found a cheer squad amongst the other dwellers of the Fijian resort who became water carriers during the game.

Mush to the disspointment of the backs who believed they were the chick magnets, the girls kept carrying the water bottles on and giving copious quantities to the forward pack.

With the cheer squad in skimpy tops on the sideline our boys played the best half of Rugby we as fathers have ever seen, but the Fijians were too fast and capitalised on the errors of our boys during basic ball handling as they must have had their minds focused in other areas.

The last day of the tour saw the team head off via flat bed truck to a water fall, which to the fathers delight could only be entered after another Kava ceremony.The Boys saw the participation in the Kava ceremony as a passage to manhood, equal to that of the American indians, ie a Man called Horse for those movie buffs.

We then returned to the village and had a magnicifent send off with singing and a BBQ on the beach. This same beach the day before had been used as a test launching pad for John Morely who thought it would be funny to climb a coconut tree which had half fallen over and was hanging preciously 5 -6 metres from the beach.

With the other kids climbing up tree the tree got closer to the ground and the other kids pulled on the branches. then to Johns total surprise the Fijian kids jumped off at the same time as the local kids let the branches go, and behold the human catapult.

We as fathers were relieved to see Steve Morely arrive in time for responsiblity to pass to same, .

We are now at the hotel outside the airport in Nadi Toka Toka and relaxing with a number of beers.

Much thanks and recognition should go to Denis Burns whose vision and determination saw this trip become a reality. His cultural awareness did not go unrecognised by the locals, and his methodic application together with the parents and kids who were here and those who stayed behind together will all those who supported the fund raising and organisation of this tour in any shape or form will never be forgotten.

The benchmark has been set, friends have been made and we hope that we will not be the last Burra team to visit this special and unique Rugby Paradise.

Sorry we have not posted earlier

2005-09-30T14:17:00.000+10:00

We have been really busy. We arrived late on Wednesday and as usual not everything was ready and it was raining. While the boys had a game of touch in the rain other dad's who did not play washed clothes or sorted out their rooms. The news came that we were to play our next game at 3.00 pm on Thursday and the boys were not happy. They were tired and cranky and wanted to chill out. The Fijian is very big and easy to lose 17 boys and 10 dads. So it was off to dinner and then bed. Thursday was wet and muddy under foort the boys had a swim and played water volley ball. then at 2.00 pm it was off to the ground in the wet. The game was a hard struggle and very muddy. All the boys were sluggish in the first half and switched on in the second. Our hosts scored first and the boys thought here we go again. After a few runs and testing their opposition our boys scored and this lifted them. Final score 10 all. Rijnard and Dom are still maintaining a good average for their first international Rugby tour. After the game we went to the school for thank yous and presentations of boot bags. Aaron scored both our tries. That make Marus and Aaron 10 points each so far. We have another game tomorow with the same team and then we check out and go to the village. In the afternoon we are off to Sigatoka for a Rugby match. Lead off game is the Fiji women's against Far North Queensland womens team .... should be interesting. We now will be off the air for two nights as I'm not sure if I can get hold of a computer in the village. I will report at Nadi the night before we leave and bring you up to date. Everyone is fine but a little tired and hope that we can slow down a bit. Sunday will be Church and a trip to a waterfall and Monday is BBQ on the beach and the party will separate.

The time is going quickly and we wait with baited breath as to what the village has install for us. It will be a bit of a shock after the luxury of the fijian.

The shirt of shame has not had an owner for 48 hours so everyone is behaving.

Talk soon, Chris B.

First International Game

2005-09-28T09:17:00.000+10:00

This is James. Yesterday was the first of our two games, played against the kids on Mololo Island. The group went over on a boat, and had to jump out into the water. The day started with a Kava ceremony with the village Elders. Reynard, Colsey and Dennis had the honour of recieving it the proper way. afterwards we were entertained by dancing from the school children. Still, we hadnt met the other team and had no idea about their size or skill. soon after, we ran on and met the opposition. they were mainly small but they were lightning fast and had great ball skills. we kicked off with the ball going out on the full and were set for a scrum, but just as we were on the back foot, we won the scrum and started off a great set of plays. the backs ran well and made great tackles in defence and the forwards dominated in the rucks and mauls, but soon afterwards we started to feel the intense heat. we got a quick try early on, scored in the corner by Marcus but missed the conversion. the crowd erupted, most of the loudest cheerers were the Fijians. the field was bumpy and had bindis everywere but te hard hits were still made and another try came our way, scored our Kiwi recruit Tomas. The conversion was missed, but we were definately ahead. after half time, we were pooped. Lefty had already spewed up and lots were ready to finish, but we pushed on. the Fiji side scored a great try by their swift flyhalf and the game was close again. Marcus scored one more, which put us ahead, and finally, the bell rang! we had won our game and the crowd once again went wild. final score was 15-5.

presents were given out afterwards, and just as we were wrapping up, Chris Butler decided he'd get a photo or two so climbed up on a chair..... and fell straight through it! an international incident. a very rough trip home, dads thinking they'd push the kids out of the zippy boat so they got home first and ended up breaking down twice and getting soaked.
we celebrated all night!

Second Day at Plantation

2005-09-26T15:48:00.000+10:00

This is Luke,

This morning we woke up at around 7am and got ready to go to breakfast at 7:30. After breakfast we had a team meeting and a very prestigious award was given out. It is known as the shirt of shame. I t was awarded to Aarn Doldan for leaving his passport at the airport, leaving the wind surf in the middle of the ocean and most importantly being rejected by not 1, but 9 girls. After that chapter of the trip we went back and got our gear ready to go snorkling. We hired our snorkles and jumped on the boat and headed fr the reef. Once we got into the water we explored the different types of corals and fishes. Some of us stayed near the boat while others went exploring deep into and past the dropoffs. We arrived back and swam in the chyrstal clear waters of Fiji. Most of us went to the poontoon and jumped off doing whatever silly stunts we could think of. While we were doing that little did we know that both Steve's went out to the the shop and prepared our lunches. After lunch we started to prepare one of the hardest training session of lives. First we went for our runs and then we split out into our fowards and backs. The heat was really getting to us, especially the fowards. After our drinks break we had a team run agaisnt the enemy, otherwise known as the dads. We arrived back and relaxed. Big game tomorrow and a lot of local interest. The town in a buzz.
Untill tomorrow.

Plantation Island Resort

2005-09-25T14:07:00.000+10:00

Ni Sa Bula!

We are now at Plantation. Are we really here to play Rugby?

We arrived just on lunch time and got into our rooms around 1.30. Two minutes later the boys were in the water on canoos and windsurfers. The dummy spit award has been out and about with Luke and Marcus wearing it. Shirt of shame for tomorrow seems to be an easy one. Aaron left his bag and passport unattended at Nadi airport, then he took out a windsurfer and got stuck when Seb went out to help he gave the surfer to Seb and paddled off. Seb got stuck and resued by Steve B who spent the next 3 hours trying to get back. Finally helped by Dom and a whle heap of the other boys.

Off snorkling tomorrow and wil report on that. Disco tonight, hope the boys are allowed in?????

Big Butta

PS thanks for your comments on the last post. We have made quite a plash over here with the uniforms with many people stopping and asking what we were .... us dads did tell the truth.

We made it

2005-09-24T19:08:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone back home we are at the Tokatoka Resort Nadi!

It is 9.00 PM local time and we are sorted for the night. The catering officers are doing there job and we are having Pizza. It was a great flight and everyone behaved themselves. It was very slow getting through immigration but easy through customs. The boys are swimming at the moment and the dads are having a beer.

Every boy is as excited as you would not believe and asking non stop questions as to what are we doing next. We have to be ready to leave by 9.00 am Fiji time tomorrow so that is a very early start and off to Plantation island.

Next message will be from the Island I'm off now for a beer.

Big Butta.

A players perspective

2005-09-23T17:07:00.000+10:00

Walla its so kool were going to fiji 2moz im so excited its goin 2 b awesome and
hot better than da sydney weather im looking foward for da banna boat if we go
on it but swimmings goin 2 be awesome so's plaing against da F1J1ains i cant
wait to get to know them it'll b a good experience.
it'll also be kool if we find james stevenson da blonde headead fella dat left
us for F1J1 and hopefully if we need him he can play for us or at least watch.

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Its time we are off

2005-09-23T14:47:00.000+10:00

Well tomorrow we fly off to Fiji to partake in its many wonders and to celebrate the game of Rugby Union.

Please make sure you let us know who wins the games on the weekend ARL and AFL.

I'm sure that everyone left at home will be surely missed????

Keep checking this site for all our news. We may not be able to post anything when we are in the village, but will try to post a summary of what happen when we get to Nadi.

See ya!

25 Days to go

2005-08-30T18:30:00.000+10:00

Well we are on the home stretch. A couple of fundraising events to go and we are on our way to FIJI. we will be staying at two resorts while there they are the Fijian and Plantation Island. To have a look what the boys will be experiencing folow the links below:

http://www.plantationisland.com

http://www.shangri-la.com/fiji/fijian/en/index.aspx

There are contact details available for those parents who must know what their baby is up to. The travel comittee is still meeting to ensure we have every issue covered. If you have not completed your travel forms or copied you passport please do so and give them to Chris B.

Important Meeting

2005-08-18T18:42:00.000+10:00

The travel committee felt we all need to get everyone together on Thursday 25th for a tour meeting so that everyone can be fully up to date with everything so far and ask any questions you have. Please be available at 7.00 pm. Just to cover off a couple of the points so that you are aware sooner rather than later as to what is going on specific issues:

1) Team Travelling uniform. Donna M has done a lot of work in getting together a great touring uniform and showed us the following which the committee approved:
For the Boys:
3 Baseball Caps>2 Tee Shirts
1 Polo Shirt>1 Rash Shirt
1 Pair Board Shorts
1 Back Pack

For the Dads
1 Polo Shirt
1 Tee Shirt
1 Baseball Cap
1 Pair Board Shorts
1 Rash Shirt

All these items will have the club logo and Burraneer Rugby Fiji Tour 2005 embroidered on them. The cost of these touring packs will be $200 for the boys pack and $120.00 for the dads pack. These are very reasonable when you consider what they are getting and that last years pack cost $400.00. Also the purpose of these uniforms is not to make the boys look pretty, but with 17 of them it will be easier to keep control of them if they are easy to see. Also if they are all well presented going through customs, it will make the process easier. Can you please bring a cheque for the money to the meeting.

We will also be handing out instruction on what clothing to take, as a minimum. Also we took the decision that no boy is to take the following or similar items:
I-Pods
Game Boys
Mobile Phones

SEE YOU AT THE MEETING!

Day minus 46 and counting

2005-08-10T22:20:00.000+10:00

We have moved from our last game and our last full weekend of fund raising, now we have to put the finer touches to the tour. The travel committee has shifted gear and now the logistics work begins. We have 17 Boys touring with 10 Dads. Everything needs to be planned.

The travel committee are:

Donna and Steve Morley
Dennis and Wendy Burns
Rijnhard Keets
Tim McGrath
David Coles
Chris Butler

Dennis and Wendy have done some amazing work to get us to where we are today, it is now time to share the load and move ahead with the planning. The committee has started meeting fortnightly to plan the tour. If you have any questions, suggestions or advice please let one of the committee know.

We have done some preliminary planning and have allocated the boys who's dad's aren't coming and adopted dad. We are also using advice received from Newport Junior Rugby Union Club, who go to Fiji every year, some great advice which we are taking on board.

Please stay tuned to our Weblog for more updates.

We are very tired

2005-08-10T22:18:00.000+10:00

We are very tired
Originally uploaded by harley316.

It was a hard game, rough and very physical, but you wont see any heads down cast, they did themselves proud and did not sttop to the tactics of their opposition. Well done boys!

Rijnhard 05

2005-08-10T21:58:00.000+10:00

Rijnhard 05
Originally uploaded by harley316.

This is the Coach with the most. He has been with the boys a lot longer than he would like to talk about or remember. He has had his ups and downs, wins and losses, but the boys still do what he says ..... sort of!

He has had frustrations, he has had joys, not many wins, BUT he has stuck with the team. Hopefully this year is not the culmination of his career and he is back to ensure the boys have continuity in their skill development.

Stretching for the last game 05

2005-08-10T21:53:00.000+10:00

Stretching for the last game 05
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Its the guys, and Dom the other coach with the most (well that's what he thinks), I'm going to pay for that one. This was one heck of a game, but I would like to find someone that would say that the boys did not play with some heart. Jake Andersons war cry at kick off and there was a lot of them. Christian's takles, runs and finally a try. Marcus and Lefty who never stopped working. Marcus had black lips at the end of the game from all the dirt he swallowed. Lefty went on the field after having been knocked sensless from he previous game. Gareth het the dirt just towards the end of the second half and the impact made everyone jump, in pain and unable to move he still yeld directions. Tyso, huge takles and runs into those huge forwards, Pat Burns what a five/eight. And for the smallest half back of the comp, Carel, you just kept getting back up. Chris Girle, might as well let out the secret, I was once his Scout leader, I knew a lot different Chris back then, but now wow. Matt D, first game back after injury ... you picked a hard game well done you didn't throw up. Who have I missed .... Jake Stiles in there and at them, Nick R direscting the traffic and not giving up, Andrew B big fella back from injury and in there showing thugs the gentlemanly way to play Rugby. Seb as always the quiet achiever, constatly chipping away at the opposition, glad you moved to a real club from the other you were at. I'm sure there is someone else I have missed But ... Butt ....Ah Butta hey what can I say?????

A symbol of our sun burnt country

2005-08-10T15:52:00.000+10:00

uluru 2
Originally uploaded by harley316.

Something for us to look at while we tour Fiji and also another test of functions of the blog.

We are progressing on towards our tour

2005-08-07T20:16:00.000+10:00

This post is really a test to see how a special function of blogger works. I hope this is effective as it will give us in Fiji easy communication with everyone at home.

This message was sent through MyMail http://www.mymail.com.au

2005-07-31T18:29:00.000+10:00

Bulla to our tour site

2005-07-31T16:28:00.000+10:00

This is the official site for the Under 14 Burra 2005 tour of Fiji. We have 8 weeks to go before we fly out. 10 days supervising 16 boys play 3 games staying at 2 resorts and relaxing at the same time. Plenty of dads going so there will be plenty of coverage on what the boys will be doing.

Plenty yet to be done before we go. Raffling off the Bledisloe tickets. The Italian night and BBQ at Bunnings, whoops don't forget the chocolates.

We will use this site as a count down to the tour and an information source for all our families. Then it will be transformed to a site where you will learn what we are all up to, these stories will be posted by the boys and some of the dads. We will give you further information down the track how you will be able to read about the adventures, check out the pictures and send messages.

In the mean time any questions let Chris B know. Happy reading!