Life as a prison guard gives Fiji's Levani Botia perspective

Fiji star Levani Botia recalls his days as a prison officer if he ever feels that life on the rugby field is becoming tough.

Botia has the striking distinction of playing both centre and flanker on the Test stage, but it is from the number seven jersey where he will be looking to inflict maximum damage on England in Sunday's World Cup quarter-final.

The 34-year-old nicknamed 'La Machine’ left school early, moved to the capital Suva and it was while working for the prison service and playing for the Wardens Sevens team that he was spotted by Fiji great Waisale Serevi, paving the way for his national call-up.

It was as an unknown that he joined La Rochelle in 2014 and his rise to prominence mirrors that of the Top 14 club, who have emerged from the second tier of French rugby to become two-time European champions under Ronan O'Gara.

Now playing at his third World Cup with the aim of helping Fiji make a maiden appearance in the semi-finals, he retains a sense of perspective knowing where his story began.

"Working in the prison is one of my memories, it’s something that helps me on the rugby field," Botia (below) said.

"When things are hard, I think about where I started. Life inside is different. Sometimes it encourages me because it was difficult.

"You’re dealing with the people who have done something wrong, breaking the rules, the law. So it’s not easy when you are inside there. But I stayed there and liked it as well.

"Rugby took me somewhere I didn’t expect to be. I didn’t expect to be working in a prison. It was not my call.

"But I played a game and the coach of the warden team found me a small club to play for and they invited me to go and play sevens.

"I worked every day, to try to find the right path for me. Luckily, I got a