Wearing the Vodafone Fiji Bati jersey holds significant meaning for hooker Kurt Donoghoe, as it deepens his familial connections. He visited Fiji for a family reunion at the age of 12, and now, 12 years later, he is playing in front of them.
The 22-year-old, who qualifies for the Bati through his paternal grandmother from the Thaggard family in Savusavu, is relishing his time in Fiji. Donoghoe made his debut for the Bati in last year’s Pacific Bowl Championship in Papua New Guinea.
“I definitely feel closer to the jersey this year playing in Fiji,” he expressed. “I got to meet some family that I’ve never met before, it was pretty cool. Playing in front of them and receiving my jersey after the game made me feel much closer to Fiji compared to last year in Papua New Guinea. Experiencing this here has been much more special with my family.”
Despite having close friends on the Cook Islands Aitu team, he is ready to put that aside for what he anticipates will be a challenging match on Saturday.
“I think it’ll be a good game; they provided us a solid challenge last year,” Donoghoe stated. “It’s going to be an exciting game and definitely a close one. They’ve been building from last year, and they’ve strengthened their side, so they’ll be coming strong after the game we had last weekend.”
The match is scheduled to kick off at 8:10 PM at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Donoghoe has signed a one-year contract with the Dolphins and made his NRL debut in Round 1 of the 2023 season against the Sydney Roosters. He has since re-signed with the club until the end of 2025 and played a total of 10 matches in the 2024 NRL season, with the Dolphins finishing 10th on the points table.