NRL star Viliame Kikau looked up to his older brother since his tender age.
He still does, but now for a totally different reason.
Kikau was joined by NRL on his recent return to Fiji to visit his family and reconnect with one of his biggest inspirations, his brother Jope Kikau.
Jope was the sporting star of the family and left home when he was 19 and travelled to New Zealand to pursue his rugby union dreams.
In May of 2010 Jope was rushed to hospital in NZ where he had to undergo surgery for a spinal injury and when he woke up his body was completely numb and ever since he has been in a wheelchair.
The sad events still haunt Viliame Kikau and his family and the Panthers back‑rower said a call to his brother was a regular part of his game‑day routine.
In an interview with NRL, Kikau says that Jope is the person that keeps him going.
Jope says that he is proud of Kikau’s achievements.
Kikau followed in his brother's footsteps growing up, representing Fiji at a young age in rugby union, before catching the eye of the North Queensland.
He says that it was tough to leave home to go to a new environment and speak English every single day.
The NRL star says that he was crying in bed at the home where he was living at in Townsville and even planned to pack his bags and come back home.
As much as Jope has been Viliame’s inspiration to follow his dreams, Viliame gives Jope just as much motivation.
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