Stags Watch: Super Rugby gig built on hard work
“It’s like anything in life, most people in life that work hard get success. He’s an extremely hard trainer and he deserves all the success."
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Less than four years ago Viliami Fine was playing club rugby in Dunedin and was unwanted at NPC level.
On Saturday night the 26-year-old will return to Dunedin, but this time as a fulltime professional Super Rugby player.
The Southland Stag will start on the wing for Moana Pasifika against the Highlanders in what will be Fine’s Super Rugby debut.
Rugby Southland director of rugby Matt Saunders said Fine’s story was a good one and was one with a lot of hard work attached.
“It’s like anything in life, most people in life that work hard get success. He’s an extremely hard trainer and he deserves all the success.
“I’m stoked for him,” Saunders said.
Fine attended St Bernard’s College in Wellington and joined the Petone club out of school where he played 80 premier games.
He eventually headed south for opportunities where he first linked with Otago in search of NPC game time.
Fine was contracted in 2021 and made six appearances for Otago, including two starts.
However, Fine missed out on the Otago squad in 2022 before he found a lifeline with the Southland Stags.
The then Stags coach Dale McLeod initially lured Fine to Southland on a five-week injury cover stint.
However, Fine ended up remaining with the Stags for the whole season playing in all 10 matches.
The following year he made the permanent move to Southland. He picked up a job as a teacher’s assistant at Ruru Specialist School in Invercargill, while also playing club rugby for Woodlands.
After a strong 2023 campaign with the Stags, Moana Pasifika came calling and Fine’s quest to become a full-time professional rugby player became a reality.
He’s since propelled himself to a starting spot with Moana Pasifika for round one of the 2024 competition.
“He has played really well in the preseason and he deserves [the start],” Saunders said.
Fine has always been a powerful ball carrier and is good under the high ball, but has probably had some work to do around his defensive game.
But it appears he has made big strides on that front.
“It’s all just purely his hard work and he deserves it. I just can’t wait to see him go.”
Fine’s rise to Super Rugby contract, from unwanted NPC player, is a feather in Southland rugby’s cap, in terms of players making the most of an opportunity with the Stags.
“Our main selling point is opportunity. You come here and you can get to play. But again, to really recruit we need to be successful so the players know they can get an opportunity and know they can win.”
Saturday’s Highlanders-Moana Pasifika game in Dunedin is scheduled to kick-off at 7.05pm.