Savenaca Aria

Savenaca Aria (30 April 1964 – 15 March 2020) was a Fijian rugby union footballer and later a coach. He played as a centre.

Savenaca Aria

Full name	Savenaca Aria
Date of birth	(1964-04-30)30 April 1964
Place of birth	Nawaka, Nadi, Fiji
Date of death	15 March 2020(2020-03-15) (aged 55)
Place of death	Nawaka, Nadi, Fiji
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 19??–19?? Nawaka () 19??–1994 Nadi () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1986–1994 Fiji 10 (8) Coaching career Years Team 2001 Nadi 2002 (assistant coach) Fiji

Career

As player, he played as outside centre for Nawaka.^[1] In 1986 he played for Queensland in the Australian Provincial Championship.^[2] Aria's first cap for Fiji was during a match against Wales, at Suva, on May 31, 1986. Despite not being part of the 1987 Rugby World Cup roster, four years later, he was called in the 1991 Rugby World Cup roster, playing two matches in the tournament. His last international cap was during a match against Japan, at Ehime, on May 8, 1994. In addition, he also played rugby sevens for the Nadi provincial team in the Fijian championship and played in the Hong Kong Sevens in 1987 and 1988 for the Fiji national team.^[3][4]

Coaching career

Aria coached Nadi in 2001 and, a year later, in 2002, he became the assistant coach for Sanivalati Laulau in the Fiji national rugby union team. In 2009, he led the Fiji Police team, which won the Ratu Sukuna Cup, defeating the Fiji Armed Forces team^[5] (the team's fifth consecutive victory).^[6] He had the rank of police sergeant.^[7] He also served as President of the Blue Football Club, which participated in the championship of the Nadi province.^[8]

Death

Aria died on 15 March 2020, at his residence in Nawaka, Nadi, aged 55. He is survived by his wife Seru, five children and four grandchildren^[9]