Anastacia Shum Cottrell-Manumanunitoga, a representative for Fiji Bulikula, is delighted to return to Fiji after nine years and is eager to play for her country and family this weekend. The 23-year-old is honored to represent both the Bulikula team and her village of Wainimakutu, Namosi on an international level.
She expressed her excitement about the upcoming match, stating, “I am very excited to play this weekend and to represent my country. Playing for Fiji is what matters most, so all the players will be giving their best against our opponents, the Cook Islands.”
Returning home, Manumanunitoga is looking forward to reconnecting with her family, whom she has not seen in quite some time. Although she was raised in Australia, she makes regular visits to Fiji and was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing her family this week.
“It was an emotional moment for me, seeing my family this week, and I’m so excited to play in front of them and do my best,” she mentioned.
Coming from a family with a strong rugby league tradition, her older brother Tevita Cottrell and brother-in-law Isaac Lumelume have also represented Fiji in the sport. “My older brother Tevita Cottrell played for the Fiji Bati in 2018, and my brother-in-law Isaac Lumelume represented the country in 2019,” she noted.
“I will be the first girl to represent the family and play for my country and Bulikula, so I’m happy. No matter the outcome this weekend, we are all proud to wear the Fiji jersey and showcase our family heritage.”
The Bulikula team is set to compete against the Cook Islands Moana at 6 PM on Saturday at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
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