For Sekove Serevi (pictured bottom left), coming to Australia through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme was about one thing first. Supporting his family back home in Fiji.

But over the past few years, Kilcoy has become more than the place where he works. It’s where he has found routine, friendships and a strong connection to the local community. One of the biggest parts of that has been rugby league.

In 2023, Sekove joined the Kilcoy Yowies, a local club that plays a big role in bringing people together in the region. Growing up in Fiji, sport had always been part of his life, so joining the team was a natural way to stay connected to something familiar while settling into life in Australia.

“It’s something I really enjoy,” said Sekove. “It gives me something to do outside of work and keeps us active.”

Finding a routine away from work

Like many PALM workers, Sekove’s weeks are structured around work. But being involved in the rugby league club has helped create a balance.

Training during the week and playing on weekends gives him something to look forward to and a chance to spend time with teammates and friends outside the workplace.

When he first arrived in Australia, he was adjusting to a new environment, language and way of life. Over time, those connections through sport helped things change.

“When I first came here, I was here alone,” Sekove said. “But now I feel like I have family here too.”

A club that brings people together

In small regional towns like Kilcoy, local sporting clubs are often the centre of the community.

Recognising the role sport plays in helping people settle and build connections, RWM and Sekove’s employer have supported the Kilcoy Yowies as a club sponsor.

For workers living away from home, opportunities like this make an immediate impact. They allow workers to connect with the community, stay active, and continue the parts of life that matter to them outside of work. Almost 20% of workers in our recent survey said they participate in sporting groups, highlighting just how important these activities are for maintaining wellbeing and a sense of belonging.

For Sekove, it has been one of the things that has helped Kilcoy start to feel like home.

Last year, that connection came full circle when the Kilcoy Yowies travelled to Fiji to compete in a rugby tournament. Sekove was able to return home with his Australian teammates and take part in the competition, something he never imagined would happen when he first arrived in Australia.

“Although we didn’t win, I never thought one day I would go back home and play with my team from overseas,” said Sekove.

The experience also showed how the opportunity to work in Australia can still allow workers to stay connected to the people, places and passions that matter to them most.

After a strong season with the club, Sekove has recently been re-signed by the Yowies for another year, a reflection of the attitude, work ethic and team spirit he brings both on and off the field.

Playing for family

While rugby league is something he loves, Sekove’s reason for coming to Australia runs deeper. After losing his mother in 2019, he felt a responsibility to support his father and five siblings back home in Fiji.

As the youngest in the family, that motivation has stayed with him.

“I wanted to make a difference for my family,” he said. “Everything I do is to help my dad and my brothers and sisters.”

Working in Australia has allowed him to support them financially and build opportunities for the future through education. 

Growth on and off the field

Sekove’s commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed at work as well. He has taken on additional training and responsibilities in food processing and continues to build his skills in his role.

On the field, he has also become a valued member of the Kilcoy Yowies squad and was recently re-signed for another rugby season.

Around the club he’s known simply as “Kilcoy”, someone who turns up with a great attitude and a willingness to learn. That same energy is carried through with him on the processing floor.

His goals for the future

For Sekove, the experience of working in Australia has opened doors he never expected.

It has allowed him to support his family, build new skills and form friendships that extend well beyond the processing floor and the field. 

And on weekends in Kilcoy, when the Yowies take the field, he’s proud to be part of a team that represents the community he now calls home.