'The road from Nadi to Suva, a four-hour drive, will be lined all the way'
Waisale Serevi and Fiji return home today to a tumultuous welcome with the country's Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase having declared Thursday a public holiday to allow the small Pacific nation to celebrate winning the tournament.
'A huge welcome party has been arranged at the airport and I know the road from Nadi to Suva, which is a four-hour drive, will be lined all the way with people waiting to catch a glimpse of their heroes and the Melrose Cup,' said Fijian coach Wayne Pivac before leaving Hong Kong yesterday.
The victorious Fiji team left last night for Sydney from where they will take a connecting flight to Nadi this afternoon. Captain Serevi, accompanied by his wife and four-year-old son Serevi Jnr, will alight from the flight with the Melrose Cup in his hands. The trophy will be in Fiji for one year before it is returned to the International Rugby Board. 'Although we are all wearing medals around our neck and the Melrose Cup is going back home with us, I don't think the enormity of what they have done has quite hit the boys yet. That will happen when they step off the plane in Nadi,' Pivac said.
Two of their overseas-based stars will not return home - Apolosi Satala who will be flying to South Africa to join his British Army team on tour there and Vilimoni Delasau who will return to New Zealand Super 12 side Crusaders.
Reports from Fiji said people had greeted the 29-19 victory over New Zealand in the cup final by letting off fireworks and noisily partying on the normally quiet streets of Suva.
'It is a fairytale come true,' said New Zealander Pivac. 'It's a dream come true for Fiji. I can assure you that there isn't anywhere in the world that it means as much as it does back home in Fiji. I just feel thrilled for the people of Fiji that this team's been able to deliver.'