Vodafone Fiji Bulikula rep Anastacia Shum Cottrell-Manumanunitoga is proud to be back home after 9 long years and is eager to play in front of her families and relatives this weekend.
Manumanunitoga says this is a proud moment for her as she not only gets to represent the Bulikula but also she gets to represent her village of Wainimakutu, Namosi on the international stage.
During the Fiji Bulikula training session yesterday, the players were asked to wear their club jerseys for training and Manumanunitoga was spotted wearing a Namosi Rugby Union jersey, proudly representing where she comes from.
She says coming back home, she just wants to reconnect with her family as it has been a long time since she last met them.
Manumanunitoga was born and raised in Australia and frequently visits her family here in Fiji.
The 23-year-old says it was an emotional moment seeing her family this week and she is excited to be playing in front of them this weekend if she gets the opportunity to do so.
She says no matter what the result will be this weekend, they are just proud to be representing their country and also their family backgrounds.
Manumanunitoga is not the first in her family to be representing Fiji in Rugby League as her older brother, Tevita Cottrell and brother-in-law Isaac Lumelume were also part of the Vodafone Fiji Bati side in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Meanwhile, the Bulikula will take on the Cook Islands Moana at 6pm this Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
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