Ben Volavola

Ben Volavola

Volavola in 2014
Full name	Ben Volavola
Date of birth	13 January 1991
Place of birth	Sydney, Australia
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
School	Endeavour Sports High School Newington College
University	Australian College of Physical Education
Notable relative(s)	Peni Volavola (Grandfather)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Fly-half, Fullback
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2012–15	Southern Districts	36	(248)
correct as of 24 August 2015.
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2014	Greater Sydney Rams	8	(72)
correct as of 4 December 2014.
Super Rugby
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2013–15 2016–	Waratahs Crusaders	8 7	(10) (6)
correct as of 19 March 2016.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2011 2015–	Australia U20  Fiji	5 9	(37) (48)
correct as of 6 October 2015.

Ben Volavola (born 13 January 1991, in Sydney) is an Australian-born Fijian international rugby union footballer who plays as either a fly-half or full back.

Education

Volavola returned to Australia from Fiji aged nine and in his secondary schooling years attended Endeavour Sports High School (2005—2008) and Newington College (2009—2010).^[1]

He attended Veiuto Primary School before he left for Australia where he first learnt how to play rugby, but moved back to Sydney in 2000 with his mother (Ema Volavola) and younger brother Milan before he started high School.

In 2012, he completed his Certificate III and IV in Fitness at the Australian Institute of Fitness in 2012. He also finished a Business Diploma with the Australian Vocational Training Academy.

He is the grandson of former Suva Mayor, Peni Volavola and former Suva netball representative Vasiti Mea Naqova.

Rugby career

His performances for Southern Districts in the Shute Shield have earned him a spot in the Waratahs Extended Playing Squad for the 2013 Super Rugby season.^[2][3] He represented Australia Under 20 in the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Italy.^[4][5]

Volavola signed for the Crusaders in the 2016 Super Rugby season to replace a number 10 exodus at the Crusaders with Dan Carter, Colin Slade and Tom Taylor who are moving to play rugby in Europe as well as confirming his eligibility to join Fiji for the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup.^[6] He signed a two-year deal.^[7]

After getting picked by Fiji for the upcoming 2015 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup, he intends to make the 10 jersey which was worn by former Fijian flyhalf, Nicky Little who Volavola regards as one of his heroes. His parents, Dinesh Shankar and Ema Volavola have been supportive of their son's decision to represent Fiji.^[8]

He came off the bench against Māori All Blacks on his debut in the 2015 mid-year rugby union internationals as Fiji had given the match, test status.

He started at 10 for Fiji against Tonga in the 2015 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup scoring 15 points (3 conversions and 3 penalties).

Later, he was named one of Fiji's 31 man squad for the rugby world cup 2015 which is hosted in England and Wales. He has played all 4 matches, against all three of the biggest teams in Fiji's group; England (lost 35-11), Australia (lost 28-13) and Wales (lost 23-13) and the last against Uruguay where Fiji won 45-17.

References

1. The Courier Mail
2. Narawa, Emoni (29 October 2012). "Mum I'm a Waratah". Fiji Times. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
3. "Ben Volavola profile". Waratahs. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
4. "Ben Volavola profile". 2011 Under 20s. ARU. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
5. "Ben Volavola JWC profile". Junior World Cup. IRB. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
6. Iain, Payten (5 June 2015). "Fringe Waratahs playmaker Ben Volavola set for move to Crusaders to replace All Black great Dan Carter". Daily Telegraph AU. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
7. "Ben Volavola signs two-year deal with Crusaders". RugbyNews.net. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
8. Mannan, Justine. "Ben Keen For No. 10". Fiji Sun. Retrieved 4 July 2015.