He was rated amongst the best in his position in the last Rugby World Cup and Flying Fijians open side flanker, Akapusi Qera is aiming to lift the bar in New Zealand.

Coming from a family known in the sport of cricket, Qera turned to rugby when he was in high school in Suva Grammar before joining his older brother Tiko Matawalu in the Nadroga team in 2005 with current team mate Sisa Koyamaibole and Netani Talei.

In the same season he played in the Colonial Cup with the Coastal Stallions before being named in the Fiji U21 side and Fiji Warriors before progressing to the Fiji team in the same year in 2005.

Qera signed a contract for the Gloucester Club in the Guinness Premiership competition and it was in the same year he was named Fiji rugby player of the year and was nominated for Fiji sportsman of the year, finishing second to golfer Vijay Singh.

The 27 year old, Lakeba man who is one of the 9 players from the 2007 RWC believes that it will be hard to get a spot in the starting lineup in the current team.