Olympic gold inspired them last year – this year Burnside Heights sisters Kelera and Melaia will be taking their talents to the national stage as part of Victorian School’s touch rugby teams.
The sisters excel in other sports, with Kelera competing at the national junior athletic championships in 2016 and Melaia being a netball star at local representative level.
But watching Australia’s women take gold in the rugby 7s in Rio, and then seeing their father’s native Fiji repeat the dose in the men’s competition, inspired the pair to give touch rugby a try.
“Watching the Aussie women win and then the Fijian men … that was pretty cool,” Kelera said.
“I do athletics, so last year I wanted to try a team sport.”
This will be 12-year-old Melaia’s second time in a state side. Kelera, 14, has been selected for the first time. They will compete in the Pacific School Games in Adelaide in December.
