Hull FCs Mitieli Vulikijapani has been called up to the Fiji national side ahead of the Rugby League World Cup, starting next month.
The outside-back, who enjoyed an impressive campaign with the Black & Whites which saw him sign a one-year contract extension in August, has linked up with his international teammates after the squad arrived in the UK on Monday.
Vulikijapani is yet to make his international debut, but is expected to feature in a star studded squad during the tournament.
He trained with the squad for the first time on Friday morning, taking part in a scrimmage session against the Royal Logistics Corps Rugby League side at the University of Hull.
Joe Rabele’s squad, which initially featured FC hooker Joe Lovodua before withdrawing through injury, features a plethora of notable names including NRL stars Waqa Blake, Regan Campbell-GIllard, Viliame Kikau, Apisai Koroisau, Taane Milne, Maika Sivo, and many more – several of whom represent NRL Grand Finalists Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels, and will link up with the side after Sunday’s season finale in Australia.
Hull FC teammate Kane Evans, who has been a mainstay of the side since his international debut in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, was also in contention for selection, but misses out through injury.
The Fiji side will be based in Hull and East Yorkshire during the tournament – currently based the the Defence School of Transport in Leconfield before moving into the city as the tournament draws closer, training at the University of Hull.
Fiji will take on England in a warm-up match at the AJ Bell Stadium on 7th October, before their group stage fixtures taking on Australia at Headingley (15th October), Italy at Kingston Park (22nd October), and Scotland at Kingston Park (29th October).
Fiji have reached the semi-finals of the last three Rugby League World Cups, and will be aiming to cause an upset and go one further in 2022 by reaching the final at Old Trafford on 19th November.
Tickets for the Rugby League World Cup remain on sale by clicking here – including the MKM Stadium’s fixtures, as New Zealand take on Jamaica on October 22nd, before hosting a double-header on November 5th as PNG Women take on Brazil Women, and a Men’s Quarter-Final also takes place.
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