Arende

Die rugby vanoggend was hard, taai en woes.

Die Fidjiane is nie stadsjapies nie.  Die snor-man dink seker ook hulle is nie tutu-draers nie. Die game sê die manne was reg vir 'n harde, meedoënlose stryd.

Maar so halfpad deur die wedstryd rol die kamera op die Fidji reuse wat op die kantlyn sit. En die lens fokus toe op een van hulle se pols, waarop 'n verband is en op die verband staan daar Jesaja 40:31.

Ek sit die hele wedstryd deur en wonder watter teks dit is, maar wil ook nie opstaan om te gaan kyk nie. Die rugby is te mooi. Jy mis dalk 'n wonderlike hardloop drie van ons manne en hulle het tog al 'n hele ruk terug laas sulke opwindende hardloop-rugby gespeel. Mens wil niks mis nie.

Na die wedstryd gaan kyk ek in my Bybel. Hoe kon ek die teks nie onthou nie:

Die wat op die Here wag, kry nuwe krag; hulle vaar op met vleuels soos die arende. Hulle hardloop en word nie moeg nie; hulle wandel en word nie mat nie.

Meer gepas kan dit nie wees nie. Hoeveel mense het gou na die wedstryd hulle Bybels gaan opsoek, wonder ek.

En al het die Fidjiane nie soos arende uitgetroon as wenners nie, was die teks en die aantreklike, harde wedstryd al inspirerend genoeg.

Maar - moenie dink daardie teksvers was 'n toevalligheid nie. Kyk na die twee berigte hier onder. Mooi.



WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - The Fiji rugby team has been urged to play clean rugby and avoid off-field temptation at a church service marking their impending departure for the Rugby World Cup.

Religion and rugby are central elements of Fijian life and the Fiji players chose to attend a service at the Centenary Methodist Church in the capital Suva Sunday before entering camp to prepare for their departure for New Zealand.

In his sermon, the Reverend Sakaraia Koli urged the Fiji players to always be at their best.

Reverend Koli told the team "it will never be easy going out there. You will have a lot of relatives and friends in New Zealand who may tempt you to drift aside from your goal but you make sure to understand your goal."
Reverend Koli warned the players on Sunday of the importance of discipline.

"There are only two key components if you want to do well," he said. "That is to play clean rugby and be a disciplined player on the field.

"You cannot win games if you have 13 players on the field so that is where self-discipline is very important to the team."

The Reverend Koli took inspiration from the Corinthians text in the Bible for his serman.

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training," he said. "They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

Reverend Koli then turned from the bible to the training manual to provide technical advice.

"I want to share with you the four Ps," he said. "That is to maintain possession which will carry you to the opposition's tryline, with a very fast pace. Pass when it is the right time to pass to carry on the momentum of the game and position yourself in the right position every time."

The Fiji team will go into camp in Nadi before leaving for New Zealand later this week.

En - ook mooi:

The Fiji squad holds nightly church services to help them bond as they prepare for the Rugby World Cup. Fiji’s strong Christian heritage had helped bind the side together since their arrival in New Zealand

The 30 strong  squad features 21 overseas-based players. “It’s a team literally from around the globe – all over Europe, Japan, France, New Zealand and Australia, as well as quite a few of us in the UK – and logistically it has been a bit of a nightmare getting us all in one place at one time,” says captain Deacon Manu

“Services are important for us as a team. Training hard and then a church service has brought us close”, says  Manu, who was raised in Taranaki

“We are a team that play hard but we always take that spiritual aspect with us on to the field; it’s part of the Fiji culture. It’s different to a lot of other teams but it’s a huge part of the guys’ growing up.”