Rupeni Caucaunibuca

Rupeni Caucaunibuca
Caucaunibuca during a Toulouse training session, July 2011
Born (1980-06-05) 5 June 1980
Bua Province, Fiji
Height181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb)
SchoolBucalevu Secondary School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Centre
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2001–2013 Northland 21 (85)
2002–2004 Blues 14 (75)
2004–2014 Agen 111 (325)
2010–2011 Toulouse 13 (25)
Correct as of 21 August 2019
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2002 New Zealand Barbarians 1 (5)
2003–2010 Fiji 7 (45)
2006 Pacific Islanders 1 (5)
2010 French Barbarians 1 (5)
Correct as of 21 August 2019
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2001 Fiji 5 (194)[1]
Correct as of 21 August 2019
Medal record
Men's rugby sevens
Representing  Fiji
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place2002 ManchesterTeam

Rupeni Caucaunibuca (/ruːˈpɛniː ˈðaʊðaʊnɪmˈbuːðɑː/; born 5 June 1980), nicknamed the "Bua Bullet", is a Fijian former rugby union winger.[2] He played for Fiji and had club careers in New Zealand and France, chiefly with Agen. He drew wide attention at the 2003 Rugby World Cup with solo tries against France and Scotland, and several coaches and journalists later rated him among the most dangerous attacking players of his era. His career was interrupted by disciplinary bans, injury and illness. After retiring in 2014 he returned to Fiji, where a 2019 documentary reported that he was living in poverty.[3]

Early life

Caucaunibuca grew up in Bua Province, in the north of Fiji. His father was a missionary who moved often, and the family had little money.[4] He broke into the Fiji sevens team in 2000. Despite playing in only five of the nine tournaments of the 2000–01 World Sevens Series, he led the side with 38 tries.[5] He won a silver medal with the Fiji sevens team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, where New Zealand beat Fiji 33–15 in the final.[6]

Career

Caucaunibuca played wing for Fiji and for club sides in New Zealand and France, including Super Rugby's Blues and the provincial side Northland.

He came to wider notice at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Against France, he took a long cut-out pass just outside his own 22 and beat his opposite number Aurélien Rougerie and the covering defence to score under the posts.[7] In Fiji's final Pool B match against Scotland, he scored two solo tries, one finishing down the left touchline and one starting from near his own 22; Scotland won the match 22–20 to eliminate Fiji.[8] Writing in The Sunday Times, the rugby correspondent Stephen Jones later described him as one of the finest attacking players in the game.[9]

After the World Cup, he stated his intention of switching allegiances from Fiji to New Zealand, in order to play rugby for New Zealand. Caucaunibuca was prevented from doing this by the eligibility rules, which tied him to Fiji following his previous appearances for them. The IRB failed to amend the eligibility rules (and New Zealand separately stated they had not approached him about this transfer), and Caucaunibuca continued to play for Fiji.[10][11]

In 2005 Caucaunibuca missed a flight to a Test against Samoa, later saying he had stayed in Fiji with his wife, who had a toothache. The Fiji Rugby Union imposed a twelve-month ban.[12] The ban was lifted early in May 2006.[13] On his return he played in a 17–35 loss to the Junior All Blacks in Suva,[14] and later scored in a 29–18 win over Italy.[15]

He was named in the Pacific Islanders rugby union team for the 2006 tour of Europe, playing only against Scotland, in which he scored one try and set up another for Daniel Leo.[16] In October 2006 he was named French championship player of the year at the LNR Nuit du Rugby, on the strength of being the top try-scorer in the French league for two seasons.[17]

On 9 April 2007 Caucaunibuca was given a three-month ban after testing positive for cannabis following an Agen Top 14 match against Montauban on 24 March.[18] Although the ban did not rule him out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, he was not selected for the tournament.[18]

He was released by Agen in February 2008 after a series of injuries. He returned to Fiji and played for his local side, Tailevu, in the Digicel Cup, before rejoining Agen for the 2008–09 season.[19] On 13 June 2009 he said he would no longer make himself available for Fiji,[20] before reversing that position in March 2010 with a stated aim of playing at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[21]

In the 2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season he helped Agen win promotion to the Top 14.[4] In October 2010 he joined Toulouse as a medical joker, covering the injured centre Yann David.[4] Later in 2010 he was selected in the French Barbarians squad.

A muscular rugby player kneels to stretch on a grass pitch in front of a packed grandstand and Fiji Rugby advertising boards
Caucaunibuca warming up before the Fiji–Classic All Blacks centenary match, 2013

In March 2013 he rejoined Northland,[22] and was named in the Classic All Blacks side to play Fiji in their centenary match that June.[23]

In late 2014 Caucaunibuca left second-division Agen and moved to Sri Lanka to pursue a place in Fiji's sevens squad for the 2016 Olympics. The move was short-lived, and he returned to his village in Fiji.[24] In 2019, in the documentary Oceans Apart, he said he had been living in poverty since finishing with Agen, having spent most of his earnings on alcohol and on helping family and friends.[3][25]

International statistics

Test appearances (including replacements) and tries[26]
Team Year Friendlies World Cup Total
Apps+subs Tries Apps+subs Tries Apps+subs Tries
Fiji 2003 2+052+034+08
2004 0+00NANA0+00
2005 0+00NANA0+00
2006 2+01NANA2+01
Pacific Islanders 2006 1+01NANA1+01
Fiji 2007 0+000+000+00
2008 0+00NANA0+00
2009 0+00NANA0+00
2010 1+00NANA1+00
2011 0+000+000+00

Club statistics

Club appearances (including replacements) and tries by season
League Club Season Apps+subs Tries
Super Rugby Blues 20021+02
20038+08
20044+05
Top 14 Agen 2004–0523+216
2005–0620+317
2006–0711+01
Pro D2 2007–083+03
2008–0915+112
2009–1019+413
Top 14 Toulouse 2010–116+04

Honours

Fiji sevens

Individual

  • Top 14 top try-scorer: 2005–06[17]
  • French championship player of the year (LNR Nuit du Rugby): 2006[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rupeni Caucau". World Rugby. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "'Bua bullet' – Fiji, Blues great Rupeni Caucaunibuca sets up taxi business". 1News. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Former Blues star Rupeni Caucaunibuca reveals he's bankrupt to warn others". 1News. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Jones, Chris (26 March 2014). "The best that never was: finding Caucaunibuca". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Stats Centre". World Rugby. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "A potted history of sevens at the Commonwealth Games". World Rugby. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Rupeni Caucaunibuca". Rugby World. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "Scotland 22–20 Fiji". ESPN Scrum. 1 November 2003. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  9. ↑ Jones, Stephen (14 September 2008). "Rupeni Caucaunibuca: Wing and a prayer". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  10. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/nov/28/rugbyunion.rugbyworldcup2003
  11. ↑ https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15370993/caucau-admits-defeat
  12. ↑ "Fiji RFU bans Rupeni Caucau". RNZ. 26 August 2005. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Flying winger's suspension cut". ESPN Scrum. 29 May 2006. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "Fiji v Junior All Blacks, Pacific Nations Cup 2006". World Rugby. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Italy fall to Fiji in Lautoka". Planet Rugby. 17 June 2006. Retrieved 17 June 2006.
  16. ↑ "Scotland 34–22 Pacific Islanders". BBC Sport. 18 November 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  17. 1 2 3 "Fiji wing wins French rugby award". CNN. 9 October 2006. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2006.
  18. 1 2 "Caucaunibuca tests positive for cannabis". ESPN Scrum. 12 June 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "Rupeni Caucaunibuca returns to Agen". Planet Rugby. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "No more Fiji for me: Caucau says club only". Fiji Times. 14 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  21. ↑ "Caucau wants to play for Fiji again". Fiji Sun. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  22. ↑ "Rugby: Caucaunibuca to return for Northland". Otago Daily Times. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  23. ↑ "Rugby: Caucau all muscled up". Northern Advocate. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  24. ↑ "Fiji winger Caucaunibuca targets sevens in Sri Lanka". ThePapare. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  25. ↑ Fanning, Sarah (31 May 2019). "Caucau: The village life after rugby". The42. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  26. ↑ "Rupeni Caucaunibuca – Test matches". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
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