During the Queen Victoria School (QVS) cadet passing out parade yesterday, Andrew Lal was among the students’ who stood out.

It was his discipline and confidence to excel that set him apart from the others.

The 18-year-old is in Year 13.

Lal considers himself a kai Mokoisa, Ravitaki, Kadavu – where his mum hails from.

Tomorrow, he will don his QVS jumper as they take on Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS) in the Eastern Zone Vodafone Deans Under-18 final at the Nukuvuto ground.

QVS has won the prestigious Deans Trophy for three consecutive years and are now gunning for their fourth win.

His older brother Edwin also played for QVS in the Deans competition in 2023.

“For me it’s both a personal achievement and a continuation of our family legacy,” Lal told SUNsports.

“Growing up, I always looked up to my brother and the pride he had for being part of QVS. Now I’ve followed into his footsteps in my own way.”

For the Lal brothers, they don’t look far for inspiration as they are vasu (mum’s village) to the same village of former Flying Fijians lock Leone Nakarawa. At the age of 38, he is still playing in the French Top 14 competition for Castres.

Lal said taking part in cadet training for the first time wasn’t easy.

“Learning the basics was a challenge but I stayed committed. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it,” he said.

“At QVS, everyone is treated fairly. We come from different backgrounds but here we stand as one.”

The experience, he said, has taught him more than just drills and marching.

“I’ve learned discipline, teamwork, and self-belief, values I’ll carry for life.”

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