Former Flying Fijians utility back and US Dax Rugby centre Ilikena Bolakoro has announced that he will finally be hanging his rugby boots after this season’s Pro D2 competition following a glamorous career spanning nearly 2 decades and over 300 professional matches. The former Suva Grammar School centre left Fiji in 2006 at the age of 19 after representing the Fiji under 19 at the Junior World Cup to join Biarritz in the Top 14 where he spent his first 5 seasons.
While sharing the story of his rugby journey, Bolakoro says the first few weeks in Biarritz were very hard and he was staying with former Flying Fijians winger and current Fiji Airways Men’s National 7s assistant coachSireli Bobo's family.
He says he did not want to show he was struggling to try and settle in, so whenever he finds himself alone in his room, he usually cries but when he started learning the language and settling in slowly, things got better. Bolakoro says during his time at Biarritz, they were crowned the 2010 Champions Cup winners and also won the 2012 Challenge Cup title.
He later was selected for the Flying Fijians from 2009-2011 where he played only 2 test matches. The 36-year-old joined Colomiers Rugby Club in 2012 till 2016 before signing up for Soyaux Rugby Club for the 2016-2017 season.
Bolakoro later joined USON Nevers Rugby Club from 2017-2021 which ended with a serious shoulder injury. He later signed up with US Dax Rugby in 2021 where he helped the side earn a promotion to the Pro D2 last year. He later on helped his Dax side this season make a dream run qualifying for the finals in only their first year in the Pro D2 competition.
