Pio Bosco Tikoisuva
Encyclopedia
Pio Bosco Tikoisuva, born in Taveuni
in 1947, is a former Fiji
an rugby
player and diplomat
.
for Fiji
between 1968 and 1979.
Tikoisiva won his first Test cap in 1968 against Tonga
. As he was aged 21, the Fijian selector
s had decided that Tikoisuva was too young for Test rugby, and they omitted from the first Test of the series. After Tonga won 8-6, he was added to the side, and Fiji went on to win the series 2 -1, with a 12-10 victory in Lautoka
and a 13-9 win in Suva
.
After a lengthy tour to New Zealand, where Tikoisuva played in the 9-9 draw with the Maoris
, in 1970 Fiji side then toured England for the first time in a 13-match tour. It was extended to 14 matches to allow a match against a Wales
"Under 25" team.
Fiji did not have much success in the early matches of the tour. They had a better result when played the traditional tour-ending match against the Barbarians
.
As a result of Tikoisuva’s performance on that tour he was recruited to Harlequins
.
While playing with Harlequins, he was invited to play for the Barbarians again, against Leicester
, an East Midlands
team and France
.
On his return to Fiji in 1977, Tikoisuva captained
the national team, first to a 3-0 series win over Tonga, then to a 25-21 win over the British Lions
. That win was probably Fiji's greatest-ever victory on a rugby field.
In 1978, Tikoisuva became manager and coach of the Fiji team to the Hong Kong
7s
, where Fiji won for the second time in a row.
Tikoisuva retired from international rugby in 1979, playing his last match for Fiji against England in Suva, but continued to play for club rugby for the St John Marist team until the mid-1980s.
In December 2001 he was appointed the first professional CEO of the Fiji Rugby Union
where he worked alongside Charlie Charters
who was Deputy CEO and Marketing Director.
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
in 1947, is a former Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
Rugby career
Tikoisuva played 19 testsTest match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
for Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
between 1968 and 1979.
Tikoisiva won his first Test cap in 1968 against Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
. As he was aged 21, the Fijian selector
Selector (sport)
In many team sports, a selection panel consist of selectors who choose teams or individuals to represent a country or club in sporting competitions.Selectors tend to be past players....
s had decided that Tikoisuva was too young for Test rugby, and they omitted from the first Test of the series. After Tonga won 8-6, he was added to the side, and Fiji went on to win the series 2 -1, with a 12-10 victory in Lautoka
Lautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
and a 13-9 win in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
.
After a lengthy tour to New Zealand, where Tikoisuva played in the 9-9 draw with the Maoris
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
, in 1970 Fiji side then toured England for the first time in a 13-match tour. It was extended to 14 matches to allow a match against a Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
"Under 25" team.
Fiji did not have much success in the early matches of the tour. They had a better result when played the traditional tour-ending match against the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
.
As a result of Tikoisuva’s performance on that tour he was recruited to Harlequins
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
.
While playing with Harlequins, he was invited to play for the Barbarians again, against Leicester
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
, an East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
team and France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
.
On his return to Fiji in 1977, Tikoisuva captained
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
the national team, first to a 3-0 series win over Tonga, then to a 25-21 win over the British Lions
British Lions
British Lions may refer to:*Lions , the lion is a traditional symbol of Great Britain, although it also used as a symbol in various other cultures* British Lions , a 1978 album by former members of Mott the Hoople and Medicine Head...
. That win was probably Fiji's greatest-ever victory on a rugby field.
In 1978, Tikoisuva became manager and coach of the Fiji team to the Hong Kong
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
7s
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
, where Fiji won for the second time in a row.
Tikoisuva retired from international rugby in 1979, playing his last match for Fiji against England in Suva, but continued to play for club rugby for the St John Marist team until the mid-1980s.
In December 2001 he was appointed the first professional CEO of the Fiji Rugby Union
Fiji Rugby Union
Fiji Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in Fiji. It is divided into over 30 provincial unions. The Fiji Rugby Union is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance , along with Samoa and Tonga. There are approximately 80,000 registered players from a total population...
where he worked alongside Charlie Charters
Charlie Charters
Charlie Charters is a former rugby union official and sports marketing executive turned thriller writer whose debut book Bolt Action was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2010. Charters was raised in Fiji where his mother was making a documentary film and met his father, a tobacco farmer...
who was Deputy CEO and Marketing Director.