28-year-old Lavenia Racaca has created history by becoming the first female referee in the country to be appointed to officiate in the HSBC 7s series.
This was based on her outstanding performance in the Oceania 7s in Brisbane last weekend.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Racaca says she started playing rugby when she was attending Saivou District School in Ra.
Racaca says she used to play rugby with the boys who were preparing for Milo Kaji.
She says she continued playing rugby when she attended Ratu Sukuna Memorial School from 2013 to 2015.
The 28-year-old says the first time she was interested in refereeing was when she was playing for the Marist Seahawks, and she was fascinated by how the female referee was handling their game.
Racaca says she asked her uncle to assist her in becoming a referee, and from then on, she switched from playing rugby to becoming a rugby referee. She says it was a great birthday gift for her when she received the good news that she will be part of the 7s series.
She further says this will be a great opportunity for her, and she looks forward to what the future holds.
Racaca has been a prominent figure in women’s rugby in the country as she has refereed matches in major competitions such as the Marama Championship and the Weet-Bix Raluve competition.
She will make her debut during the HSBC Perth 7s from the 26th to the 28th of January 2024.
She will then officiate at the Hong Kong 7s from the 5th to the 7th of April 2024.
She will also officiate in the Singapore 7s from the 3rd to the 5th of May 2024.
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