Seru Rabeni passes away
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<p>From the Highlanders FB page, think he was only 35?</p>
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<p>Saddened to hear of the passing of Seru Rabeni today, our thoughts are with your family. Rabeni played 11 games for the Highlanders across the 2003 and 2004 seasons <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/highlander92?source=feed_text&story_id=10154113305037249'><span style="color:rgb(98,122,173);">‪#‎</span><span>Highlander92‬</span></a> (image courtesy of Getty Images)</p>
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<div><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.facebook.com/HighlandersFB/photos/a.500346877248.273970.385405572248/10154113305037249/?type=3'><img height="422" src="https://fbcdn-photos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xla1/v/t1.0-0/s480x480/10342469_10154113305037249_1425070280317313029_n.jpg?oh=ce879944eb60d03345f055f565988fe8&oe=57939EC0&gda=1464887989_cfcb6d4220dcdc0c9db0ef5548096e51" width="470" alt="10342469_10154113305037249_1425070280317"></a></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:30px;">Seru Rabeni passes away</span>
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<b>By</b><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;"> Vijay Narayan and Semi Turaga</span>
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<span style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Tuesday 15/03/2016</span>
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<span style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Seru Rabeni</span>
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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://fijivillage.com/sport/Seru-Rabeni-passes-away-5rs2k9'>http://fijivillage.com/sport/Seru-Rabeni-passes-away-5rs2k9</a></p>
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<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Former Fiji 7s and 15s player, Seru Rabeni has passed away.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">37-year-old Rabeni passed away at his Nausori home while having breakfast this morning.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Rabeni’s father-in-law Viliame Kanatabua said Rabeni was sick for a while and had just recently recovered.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">He is survived by his wife and two children aged 7 and 4 years old.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Rabeni represented the country in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cup tournaments.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">He made his 7s debut in Dubai in 1998, playing in two Hong Kong 7s tournaments.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Rabeni also played for Fiji in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Rabeni grew up in Bua and played rugby union from his early schooldays at Ratu Kadavulevu School. </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">He first played provincial rugby for Lautoka from 1998 to 1999 while studying at Lautoka Teachers College, before moving to Suva in 2000. </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">He played at both U21 and U23 level for Fiji before making his test debut in May 2000 against Japan in Tokyo during the Epson Cup tournament. </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;text-align:center;"><img height="300" src="http://www.fijivillage.com/resources/files/2016/images2016/rabeni.jpg" alt="rabeni.jpg"></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">In 2001, Rabeni took up a three year degree course at the University of Otago, and the following year played seven games for Otago in the National Provincial Championship before gaining a Super 12 contract with the Otago Highlanders. </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">He played a dozen games over the 2003 and 2004 Super Rugby season.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Open Sans', sans-serif;font-size:15px;">Rabeni also played for the Leicester Tigers.</p>
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<p>He was good to watch, really sad news. 37 is far too young. </p>
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<p>I just copied and pasted, heard on the radio and thought I had heard 35, either way, far too young! :(</p>
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<p>RIP</p> -
<p>That's awfully young. Very sad for family and friends to lose someone that young unexpectedly.</p>