Fiji rugby star feared drowned off Wairarapa

Eroni Ravaga-Gaunavou had been in NZ for two months. Photo / Supplied

A young Fijian man who went missing during a swim at a Wairarapa beach was a former member of the Fiji Sevens team who came to New Zealand with the hope of rekindling his rugby career.

Eroni Ravaga-Gaunavou, 22, was swimming with a group of friends north of Akitio, 85km southeast of Dannevirke, when he went under the water and did not resurface.

Puketoi Rugby Club president Bruce Bowie, who had sought out the promising player for the Wairarapa club, said other players were in disbelief at the news.

Ravaga-Gaunavou had been in New Zealand for two months.

"It's very hard to put into words that a young person, 22 years old, can be chopped down in the prime of his life, basically when enjoying his lifestyle in New Zealand," Mr Bowie said. "He was an exceptional rugby player that had tremendous speed and attributes, and should be missed for a very, very long time."

Ravaga-Gaunavou's body has not been recovered despite extensive searches on Monday when he went missing and yesterday.

"The most devastating part is that we have nothing to show for it, and we would love to see some sort of finality to this situation," Mr Bowie said.

"Closure is a very big thing in my book. I won't say that I feel responsible, but I was the person who sought him from Fiji to come and play for us at Puketoi, and I would dearly love to take his body back to Fiji and express my condolences to his family and friends."

Ravaga-Gaunavou, from Vanua Levu, was picked for the Fijian Sevens side in 2010 but was unable to play the Dubai round because he fell ill after eating a poisonous fish.

After that he was "passed over and never looked at again" in Fiji, Mr Bowie said.

"But he had attributes that people would die for," Mr Bowie said.

"He was just an all-round, genuine person. He had a very, very good work ethic, he was very polite, a religious man."

As a player, he could run "as fast as a speeding bullet", Mr Bowie said.

"I haven't seen anybody in these parts who could run as fast as him. And he was exceptional on his feet - he could beat men just at the wink of an eye."

Ravaga-Gaunavou also played for Fiji at the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2009.

Police said yesterday that they had been in touch with his family in Fiji to let them know he was missing.

Police were called at about 4.45pm on Monday and search and rescue, local emergency services and rescue helicopters from Hawkes Bay and Wellington began a search of the area.

The search resumed yesterday and the police national dive squad was called in but the rips and swells were too strong to make a dive search effective.

Police said the long-range forecast meant they were not optimistic about the opportunity to make further dives.

Local volunteers would continue to search along the coastline.

The disappearance comes after a confirmed Easter drowning toll of four.