'Rambo' suspension nightmare
Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:04
\'Bulldozer\' on the Charge: Seru Rabeni
Fijian and Leicester star Seru Rabeni says it nearly killed him having to sit on the sidelines for the last six months and that he is now completely focused getting back to doing what he does best.
The 29 year-old finally returned to action on Saturday, after almost six months out of the game, as his Tigers swept aside Treviso in their second Heineken Cup pool match 60-16.
After first receiving a 14 week ban for an eye gouging incident, and then a subsequent nine week extension for playing sevens during the original ban, Rabeni has admitted he found it incredibly hard at first to accept the ruling based on something he had not even purposefully done.
"I love the game of rugby and the best thing for me is to play," he said.
"To take that away from me kills me.
"Playing rugby is what I do and that got taken away from me for something that wasn't intentional.
"I was angry at the start but I knew that if I felt like that, I wouldn't be able to use my time positively, so that is what I started doing.”
In the end though, the man nicknamed “Rambo” by his teammates, said he came to terms with the stint on the sidelines and decided that he would then turn it in to something positive for him in the long run.
“I haven't trained well for the last four years of my career because of continuous rugby. I saw the lay-off as a chance to get my body back to how I want it to be, to have proper training and get over all of the niggling injuries I have had over the last few years.
"I have worked hard and now my body is very fresh. The positive side of being out is that I had time to train for such a long time, the sort of time that I probably won't have again. Now it's all about match-fitness.
"I am really excited and think it's going to be a good year if I stay away from injury."
With his second part of his suspension having arisen due to him playing for the Fijian national sevens side, many would have understood if the Tigers hierarchy had come down hard on the former Highlanders star. They chose though to stick by their star and Rabeni says he is looking forward to repaying that faith with his contributions to the team.
"The best thing has been the support I have received from the club, which was great," he said.
“They have never let me down and have let me get on with it. I have had 100 per cent support from the boys and never felt like I have been out because they have always made me feel like a part of the team.
"Now I am so excited about getting back to playing because the boys have been playing so well for the last eight weeks or so.
"I didn't want to get that nervousness or fret about being out.
"I didn't want to look like someone who hasn't been playing. I wanted to get back on the pitch and do what I do best.
"Hopefully I can build on the 20 minutes at Treviso and the boys will help me do that with the way we are playing.
"I just want to get on with it. I want to keep my head down and work hard on my fitness week in, week out.
"I want to contribute to the team, whether it is on the pitch or off it."
