New Ospreys signing Lalakai Foketi has been blown away by his first few weeks in Wales after joining from Super Rugby giants Chiefs. The Australia international is a major summer transfer coup for the region, with centre Foketi set to be one of the key players heading into the new season. He is expected to be joined by Wallabies legend Marika Koroibete in the coming weeks as the Ospreys bolster their squad with high quality foreign talent.
Foketi impressed by Ospreys environment
Foketi, 31, has been training with his new team-mates in Swansea as he waits for his family to join him in Wales and says the welcome he's received and talent within the squad has really impressed him.
"I'm loving it," he said. "From day one, the boys have made me feel very welcome and the environment is great. Everyone wants to learn and is competing this early in pre-season. I love it."
"Even the weather is great! I went to the beach yesterday. The boys have said this is the best summer they've ever had so I'm just lapping it up and waiting for the family to arrive."
"All the lads have made me feel very welcome. I honestly couldn't speak highly enough of them."
"I've come here to compete and add my game to this team. There is a lot of talent here and a lot of competition already. When I get the opportunity I will take it with both hands and give it 110% for the club and the community."
The Ospreys have recruited strongly this summer despite losing Wales stars Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake to Gloucester. If Koroibete completes a deal with the Welsh club he will become the third Australia international at the club alongside backrower Liam Wright and Foketi. They have also signed utility-back Lawson Creighton from the Waratahs, while former Queensland Reds second-row Ryan Smith is also at the club.
Neath to play Fijians in Bula Festival
Neath will play a representative Fiji side later this month in a nostalgic throwback to an era when the Welsh All Blacks regularly welcomed international opposition to the Gnoll. The game will take place on Saturday, August 29 and is part of a day long event called the Bula Festival.
The Fijian team will be full of recently retired internationals including former Gloucester backrower Akapusi Qera and former Glasgow scrum-half Niko Matawalu. This is the second year running they have held the Bula Festival at the Gnoll, which start at 9am.
"Since buying the club we've endured a turbulent time," said Neath CEO Matty Young. "We didn't get into the SRC so we want to find our place in the game."
"Playing these sort of games with Fiji while integrating both our cultures is one of the most exciting things we've done since we've been here."
"Last year was super special when we were on the pitch after the game together with players saying prayers. It opened the Neath communities eyes to what we can be. It is great to win the cup final but it is not all about that. It's about going a different direction and trying to celebrate that."
A crowd of 3,000 is expected, with the day also featuring a host of activities and entertainment at the ground, including 15 Fijian and Welsh stalls. As well as half-time entertainment, former Wales and Fiji players will be mixing with the crowds in hospitality roles, an RAF band will play and the High Commisioner of Fiji will be in attendance.
The game will be used to raise money for the Fiji Rugby charity. "The charity is about organising an event every year so all the ex-players can connect because once we retire Fiji rugby has historically done nothing to help us," said former Ospreys and Fiji star Tevita Cavubati.
"Me and Niko (Matawalu) have tried to take it on on our own to get people together. We all know transitioning from being a professional for 10-15 years and then being thrown out there is quite a difficult transition."
"We set up a charity to make connections with other stakeholders. Neath will give us a launching platform to connect with others. They are helping us ex-players."
"The players are all former internationals while many of the current players will be there in a coaching capacity. We've also got Australia who want to play a game with us while we've reached out to the Classic All Blacks."
Ritchie starts new chapter at Glasgow
Scotland back-rower Jamie Ritchie believes he has the attributes to slot in seamlessly to Franco Smith's Glasgow side in the upcoming campaign. The former Edinburgh flanker, 29, recently agreed to join Warriors after spending last season in France with Perpignan.
"For me, obviously seeing the success that Glasgow have had over the last few years is a huge motivating factor in wanting to join the group," Ritchie said in a club interview. "Obviously I know a lot of the boys really well and I have a great deal of respect for Franco's coaching and what he's done here."
"I think the way they play rugby will suit how I like to play and hopefully I can contribute really well here. I'm really excited."
"The biggest thing that comes to mind when we were previewing Glasgow whenever we (at Edinburgh) came to play them was always the threat they had with ball in hand. So for me, I'm really excited to be part of that. I think there's parts of my game that can contribute to that being done well."
"I would like to think myself as a reasonably skilful player that I can pass the ball well, so when we're in those forwards pods, that part of my game hopefully can contribute well."
Ritchie, who knows the majority of the Glasgow squad through playing for Scotland, added: "There's a couple of guys who I've known a lot longer than our professional careers. I was at school with Matt and Zander Fagerson. George Horne and I have known each other since we were super young, his mum used to be my tennis coach when I was about four years old."
"And I used to live with Ally Miller when we both came up together at Edinburgh, so there's lots of guys in there that I'm super excited to be back seeing on a regular basis."
