BY PETER ZOLEVEKE II
THE Solomon Island Rugby Union Federation (SIRUF) is supporting a national rugby player who was found guilty in the Magistrates Court for assaulting a couple at the Heritage Park Hotel last year.
Formidable and influential rugby union and league player, Daniel T Saomatangi has been remanded for sentencing sometimes next week.
The 19-year-old was charged with one count of causing grievous harm and one count of common assault.
However, his co-accused Ned Taungaika was acquitted of the charges.
“SIRUF has supported Daniel with a reference letter as requested,” SIRUF said in a statement to SunSPORTS.
Local rugby players and team mates were also vocal through social media in support of the player going through one of the moments in life that could be reputable to his rugby career.
Daniel represented the country at an early age in both rugby codes and had been an ambassador identified by the Pacifique XIII last year.
He was awarded the Best Forward player in the Honiara Rugby Union Association (HRUA) League 2020, he also represented the country in the league code in the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea (PNG) – his first international rugby league tournament was in the 2018 Emerging Nations World Championship where Solomon Island (Solies) came out Plate Winners.
Daniel represented the National U18 7’s team to the Youth Olympic qualifier in Sydney, Australia 2018 and also the SI National fifteens team to the Oceania cup in PNG 2019.
He played a vital role in the HRUA league premier division for home club Avaiki triumph in 2020 – SIRUF.
