Not too long ago Murri-Fijian man Garlen Peace was in the rugby league system reconsidering where his footy was going to be best played.

At the weekend he was running out with Australia's side at one of the most prestigious rugby sevens comps on the globe - and opening the door for bigger opportunities.

The league-turned-union convert travelled with Rugby Australia's Aussie Select 7s squad for the Coral Coast Fiji 7s, picking up some silverware in the men's plate final over New Zealand's development outfit.

It's the Australian side's best result at the carnival.

Making it even more special, Peace did it while connecting with his roots.

The three-day carnival brought teams from all corners of the globe as well as smaller Fijian communities to Sigatoka - the home of his grandfather, a Fijian rugby international.

"I can't really explain it. There's no words really...it's an unforgettable experience," Peace told National Indigenous Times.

"It was crazy to be able to play in front of my dad's side of the family. To represent them over there and represent my (Indigenous) side, I can't really put it into words either," he added.

The Aussie Select squad featured a mix of Rugby Australia contracted players and those the body wants to keep a close eye on, assistant coach, Gomeroi man and former sevens international Matt Sonter explained.

Gage Phillips, Deon Evans, Logan Aldridge, Moses Sorovi, Riley Whitfield joined Peace as Indigenous players included - boasting Super Rugby, elite underage and footy systems experience between them.

It was Peace's second experience with a representative Australian side - having previously toured to Singapore with the Lloyd McDermott Development Team - or the Lloydies, named for the trailblazing Wallaby.

"I've fallen in love with the game over two circuits", Peace said, having made the switch to the 15-man (or seven) code after time with Queensland Cup league setups Souths Logan and Sunshine Coast Falcons, without getting his big break.

"Not being able to crack rugby league, it just kept me hungrier...the two years I was sort of overlooked has molded me into the player I am today," the fullback and halves utility said.

The Quandamooka and Pitta Pitta man has also made his mark on the southern side of the Queensland-New South Wales border with Waterloo Storm at the Koori Knockout.

Next up could be a relocation abroad.

As understood by National Indigenous Times, a sliding doors moment in Sigatoka has ended with Super Rugby franchise Fijian Drua showing some interest in the 23-year-old as a prospect for the top-level XIII-a-side game.

Drua entered Super Rugby in 2022 after a brief stint in Australia's short-lived second tier National Rugby Championship.

It operates both as a franchise in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific's top club competition and as a pathway for future Fiji national players.

Drua, based out of Suva and Nadi in Fiji, kick off their 2026 Super Rugby campaign against Moana Pasifika next month.

After Coral Coast Fiji 7s, Peace, a third-year plumbing apprentice, credited his family and partner for their support in making the code-switch.

"It was a pinch myself moment. Not only was he representing Australia, but in Fiji on home soil, in front of a lot of his family. They all came out to watch him," Peace's step-mum Mundanara Bayles said.

For his dad, it was just as emotional.

"For (Garlen) the last couple of months, it's been unreal. To be honest, seeing him out running out there with his Australian gear on, it's been overwhelming to tell you the truth. Especially in the family hometown," Peter Peace said.

Like for a lot of kids, making it to the top level is as much about luck and having the right eyes on you at the right time as it is about talent, Peter said, while hopeful his son might have just made the most of his shot.

The Aussie Select side's assistant coach Matthew Sonter said "the sky is the limit" for a raw talent like Peace, who showed his ability at "toughest sevens tournament the world outside of the international IRB Series (SVNS)".

Peace himself thanked Sonter for taking a "gamble" on him as a selection for the Lloydies tour to Singapore in 2025.

Keeping him in the Australian system in front of high performance coaches would be a great opportunity for a hard-working, high effort player like Peace, Sonter added.

Sonter also credit's Rugby Australia's investment in producing and identifying the current and coming generations of Indigeous talent with opportunities like the Lloydies, Coral Coast 7s and pathways back at home.

He added sevens is a format of the game practically built for First Nations players to bring their game.