'Au domoni iko Fiji' - Shailene Woodley to Ben Volavola and the Flying Fijians

By Alisi Vunivesilevu

Saturday 21/09/2019

“Au domoni iko Fiji”

That’s the message from Hollywood star, Shailene Woodley hours before her partner, Ben Volavola takes the field for Fiji in their opening match of the Rugby World Cup against the Wallabies.

View this post on Instagram

in less than 24 hours, this man along with his team of 23 Fijians will take on Australia in their first game of the 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP with hundreds of millions around the globe watching. sports held no significance to me before i met Ben. over the past few years, i have learned more from the discipline, the dedication, the levity, the sacredness, the mental skills, the intensity, and the character exemplified in this sport than i have through any other medium. there is a community found in island rugby that will take your breath away. the way these men treat one another ... the way their families pray for and support them ... never have i been around such masculine men who also hold such sacred space for femininity. such reverence for their mothers, their partners, their grandmothers, aunties, sisters. i ask all of you to send a little prayer and some good grounding energy to the Flying Fijians for this World Cup. it’s a monumental and historical moment for this stunning nation, and i couldn’t feel more blessed to call these men my brothers, and to have one extra special one who will live in my heart forever as the first man to show me what TRUE unconditional support, love, grace, compassion, humor, comfort, and unadulterated joy looks like. au domoni iko FIJI !!!! #rugbyworldcup 🇫🇯 🇫🇯 🇫🇯

A post shared by shailene woodley (@shailenewoodley) on Sep 20, 2019 at 6:46am PDT

Woodley has acted in movies like The Divergent series, Big little Lies and The Fault in Our Stars.

In a post of Instagram, Woodley has asked everyone to send a little prayer and some good grounding energy to the Flying Fijians for this World Cup.

She says it’s a monumental and historical moment for this Fiji and she couldn’t feel more blessed to call these men her brothers and to have one extra special one who will live in her heart forever as the first man to show her what true unconditional support, love, grace, compassion, humor, comfort, and unadulterated joy looks like.

Woodley says there is a community found in island rugby that will take people’s breath away.

She says the way the Flying Fijians treat one another, the way their families pray for and support them is inspiring.