Viliame Turuva not only starred for CYMS in Sunday’s Group 11 win over the Forbes Magpies, he also created some rare sporting history as well.
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Since the start of 2015, Turuva has turned out for each of Dubbo’s five major football sides across two codes.
The powerful ball-runner made the move from Fiji to Dubbo to link up with the Macquarie Raiders in Group 11 in 2011 and has played the bulk of his football with that side, but he also did spend some time playing with the Dubbo Rhinos when the men in black and gold were playing rugby in the Graincorp Cup.
Following Dubbo Westside’s return to Group 11 Turuva spent a season in red and green in 2015 before returning to his Raiders last season.
He also played with the Rhinos in the club’s maiden season back in the Blowes Clothing Cup in 2016 before making the switch to the Dubbo Kangaroos this season.
He has produced some moments of magic for the Roos in the Blowes Clothing Cup, a seven-try effort in a lopsided win against Mudgee the highlight, but tearing apart defences in one code hasn’t proved enough.
On Sunday he appeared for Dubbo CYMS’ top grade side for the first time and scored a hat-trick in the grand final rematch win against Forbes.
The flying Fijian had been training with the Fishies’ reserve grade side in recent times but got the call-up to the top flight on Sunday.
“He was good. He was a late inclusion because of some injuries and he came in and did a job so it was good,” CYMS coach Tim Ryan said after Turuva’s three-try effort.
His effort on Sunday matched those he has been producing the Roos in the 15-man game this year.
Turuva has made a big impact at the Roos and teammate Sam Clements said recently he and fellow rugby league convert Billy Sing had ”both brought something to our team”, and the pair have been regularly featuring on the try-scorer’s list.
Cross-code representatives are nothing new in country footy, with a number of players in the bush strapping the boots on for union on Saturday before backing up the next day to play league.
The western area has seen a number of players like this but few have played for as many teams, in both codes, as Turuva in a short space of time.
Elsewhere in the western region currently, Ben McAlpine continues to perform for Dubbo CYMS in Group 10 in a career which has also seen him play rugby for CSU Bathurst and Orange City while he’s also featured for Manildra in rugby league.
His CYMS teammate Dom Maley is similar, having also played union for CSU and the Lions before making the move to the 13-a-side game.