Emosi Bainivalu grew up on the rural, volcanic Fijian island of Taveuni where he fished and hunted wild chickens and boars.

Eventually, he would join the Army and play on the same rugby team. 

This week, he played on the Army team, with matches against four of the other service teams at the Armed Forces Men's Rugby Championship. His team captured gold during the championship match in Glendale, Colorado, on Aug. 24. 

Bainivalu won the green card lottery in 2012, which is a U.S. government program that provides a limited number of visas to applicants from countries with low immigration rates with the goal of creating a more diverse U.S. society.

After arriving in the United States in 2014, he decided to enlist in the Army in 2016 and began playing rugby in the All-Army Sports Program in 2017.

Besides being in excellent physical shape, Bainivalu said he plays every match as if it were the championship match, never easing up or letting his guard down. 

About once every three years, he returns to Taveuni to visit his parents and other relatives and to ride his three horses. 

Army Sgt. Bainivalu is a motor transport mechanic based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He's been deployed to Thailand and the Philippines as part of Exercise Cobra Gold. He also deployed to South Korea for nine months. 

Army sweeps Armed Forces men's rugby 

Second JBLM soldier contributes to win

The 2024 Armed Forces Men's Rugby 7s Championship ended with Army dominating and clinching gold. Air Force was a close contender, taking silver. 

The match among Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps took place at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, Aug. 23-25. It was Army's tenth, consecutive annual championship win. 

Army ruled the first half of the match, with 1st Lt. Patrick Blair from Joint Base Lewis-McChord making the first try. The second try was from 2nd Lt. Faleniko Spino of U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii. 

Air Force came on strong in the second half, with 2nd Lt. Eric Wills of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, making the try. Air Force was the only team to make the conversion. 

Both teams put on a stellar performance, and at times, it looked like the match could go either way. However, Army held Air Force back from the try zone in the closing minutes, and the final score was 10-7 with Army claiming the gold. 

Army head coach Capt. Jacob Lachina, from Fort Carson, Colorado, said he had a lot of respect for the other teams. He attributed the victory to solid core skills, good strategy and the ability to keep emotions in check while having "humble confidence." 

Lachina also credited the win to "developing the man:" having a strong culture and a strong system with rigorous training and high-level competitors. The coach also said he gives frequent pep talks to the players. The Air Force really challenged the soldiers, he said, remarking "that it's good to be challenged." 

Air Force head coach Lt. Col. Saleem Rasvi from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, credited his team's strong finish with a solid defensive line. The players, he said, are dedicated on and off the field. Their motto, he said is BOS: brotherhood, ownership and service. 

Both coaches noted that their teams could improve by having a good recruiting program to find the right talent.

At the conclusion of the Armed Forces Championship Awards Ceremony, service members lined up for the annual wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate fallen rugby players, or ruggers. With bagpipes playing in the background, team captains from each team laid rugby balls in front of wreaths. 

Glendale Mayor Mike Dunafon took to the field to congratulate both teams and honor them and other service members for defending freedom. The Air Force Wings of Blue parachute team dropped into the stadium, with each jumper carrying a different service flag. 

The Armed Forces Rugby 7s was established in 2012 after it was announced it would be an Olympic sport beginning at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Rugby 7s, also known as Rugby Sevens, fields seven players on each team, playing for two seven-minute halves. 

Besides rugby, Armed Forces Sports hosts 23 other sporting events, including basketball, judo, marathon, shooting, soccer, track and field and wrestling. 

These sporting events support Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's priorities of resilience and taking care of people. Rugby, as with other sports, requires leadership, teamwork, mental acuity, physical fitness and perseverance - all traits valued in military members.