The Fiji Times

France shocks Ferns

Despite winning all their matches on day one of the Fiji Airways Mini International Women’s 7s tournament, the Black Ferns 7s side lost to France in an entertaining encounter at Albert Park yesterday. The women from New Zealand lost to France 19-26 but managed to beat Australia 10-7 and the Fijiana 19-5. Meanwhile, the Fijiana...

Proposal to conduct provincial 7s tourneys

The Annual National Provincial Girls 7s competition kicked off in Albert Park, Suva yesterday after a lapse of two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 32 teams registered for the under- 17 and U19 grades. The annual event was organised by the Fiji Rugby Union and funded by the UN Women Pacific with the...

Lautoka defends Vanua Trophy

Lautoka Maroons defeated a very strong Rewa side in the Nivea Vanua Trophy Challenge match by 19-7 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka yesterday. Maroons got on the score board early in the match, after captain Apakuki Vuaviri went over for a try to lead 7-0. Minutes later, Sunia Talebula, younger brother of former Fiji 7s...

Maejiirs leads again

Josephine Maejiirs has once again been given the call-up to the captaincy role of the Fiji Bulikula side to next month’s Test match against Fetu Samoa at the Pacific Championship as a stepping stone to qualifying for the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup. The appointment of Maejiirs as captain of the Fiji side was...

‘Play the full 80’

This squad is playing the full 80 minutes of rugby, says Swire Shipping Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne. He commended the FIJI Water Flying Fijians team during the Drua Talk podcast with the Drua’s head of commercial and marketing Shane Hussein. “You cannot wear this team down, as they not only playing 80 minutes...

Byrne ‘proud of Simi’

Really proud of Simi, says Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne. He said the FIJI Water Flying Fijians scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli was the one player that impressed him the most during our historic win against Australia at the Rugby World Cup pool C clash on Monday. While talking to the Drua’s head of commercial and...

Naca meets the King

FIJI Water Flying Fijians strength and conditioning coach Nacanieli Cawanibuka was over the moon as he got to meet the King of United Kingdom, King Charles III in Bordeaux, France yesterday. The former national 7s trainer was with the Flying Fijians team in France when they came across King Charles and Queen Camilla who were...

Three down | Nadro makes second half comeback to hold Suva

In a match that lived up to its hype and expectations, Nadroga retained the INKK Farebrother Sullivan Trophy after fending off a tough challenge from Suva at Sigatoka’s Lawaqa Park yesterday. Down 15-3 at one stage of the second spell. Nadroga came back with two tries to tie the scores at 15-all. The competitions format...

France hope for Dupont return after captain undergoes surgery

By Julien Pretot PARIS (Reuters) -France captain Antoine Dupont has undergone surgery on a facial injury and will return to his Rugby World Cup squad to recover, the French federation (FFR) said on Saturday, though it gave no timeline for when the scrumhalf might return to the field. The 26-year-old sustained the injury in Thursday’s...

Five-try Arundell stars as England thrash Chile 71-0

By Philip Blenkinsop LILLE, France (Reuters) -Winger Henry Arundell scored five tries on his World Cup debut as England tore up the safety-first playbook from their first two matches with a crushing 71-0 defeat of Chile on Saturday to give coach Steve Borthwick a selection quandary. England, who made 12 changes from the starting line-up...

Royal well wishes

“Good luck for your next match.” These were the words of Charles III, the King of United Kingdom when he met the FIJI Water Flying Fijians team in Bordeaux, France yesterday. King Charles visited the Fijian dressing room after the 32-26 loss to Wales at the Rugby World Cup a fortnight ago. King Charles and...

Springboks hail “proper test” in World Cup defeat to Ireland

PARIS (Reuters) – South Africa’s lack of accuracy close to the Ireland tryline and off the kicking tee were major contributors to their epic 13-8 loss in a Rugby World Cup Pool B showdown on Saturday and they now face a crunch clash with Tonga to progress from the group. Ireland were deserved winners and...

Wales keen to grasp the carrot but wary of Wallabies stick

LYON, France (Reuters) – Winger Josh Adams said Wales are highly motivated by the opportunity to clinch a place in the World Cup quarter-finals when they play Australia this weekend, but are also wary of the threat a desperate Wallabies side might present. Two bonus-point wins combined with Australia’s loss to Fiji last weekend have...

Wallabies in a bubble as pressure mounts ahead of Wales showdown

LYON, France (Reuters) – The Wallabies say they are living in a bubble ahead of their crunch World Cup match against Wales on Sunday and leaving head coach Eddie Jones to bear the brunt of criticism from back home over their faltering start to the campaign. A first loss to Fiji in almost seven decades...

Scotland centre Tuipulotu won’t dwell on Tongan roots

By Nick Said NICE, France (Reuters) – There will be no mixed emotions for Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup Pool B clash against Tonga with victory the only thing on his mind as his side look to get their tournament back on track. Scotland lost their opening fixture 18-3 to South...

Last-gasp penalty miss denies Portugal first win

TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) -Nuno Sousa Guedes missed a last-minute penalty as Portugal agonisingly failed to secure a first-ever World Cup victory on Saturday as Georgia scored a 78th-minute try – then missed the conversion – to force a thrilling 18-18 Pool C draw. Georgia raced into a 13-0 lead but after a nervous opening 30...

Unveiling the iconic logo | How a WWII fighter pilot helped the Flying Fijians find their wings

One of the great thrills of my life was discovering, when I went to work for the Fiji Rugby Union in 2001, that my boss was Pio Bosco Tikoisuva. I had just turned nine years old in 1977 when I listened to Pio’s exploits as Fiji captain organising the defeat of the British Lions, on...

Dakuitoga to coach Bulikulas

Former Vodafone Fiji Bati coach Josaia Dakuitoga has been named as the new head coach for the Fiji Bulikulas that will participate at the Pacific Championship in Papua New Guinea next month. This tournament will be used as a build-up for the Rugby League World Cup qualifiers next year. FNRL chairman Aporosa Lutunauga made the...

Cup final to be a thriller

It would be a clash of two unbeaten team’s when Navala and Nailaga contest in the Cup final of the Ba Rugby Union club games today. Navala beat Duiyasana to advance to the finals while Nailaga pipped Sorokoba to book their spot in the final. “The level of competition has gone up this year which...

Ba aims for redemption in final challenge

Vilimoni Delasau-coached Ba side is hoping to meet Lautoka in the final Vanua Trophy Challenge next week. Current holders, Lautoka Maroons would be defending their title against Rewa today at Lawaqa Park and a win for the Maroons would see a re-match of the Vodafone Vanua Cup Championship, where Lautoka defeated Ba in a thrilling...

Lot of lessons learnt: Fuli

Despite the Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s side loss in its first match of the Mini International Women’s 7s yesterday, head coach Saiasi Fuli said a lot of lessons were learnt in playing against one of the best teams in the world. The Fijiana side succumbed to a 22-5 loss to the New Zealand Black Ferns...

Black Ferns win all matches

New Zealand National 7s side managed to win all their matches during the first day of the Mini International Women’s 7s tournament. The Black Ferns beat France 24-12, Australia 24-14 and the Fijiana 22-5. Head coach Cory Sweeney said despite the rainy weather at Albert Park yesterday, his side’s performance was up to expectations. “I’m...

Flying Fijians plan well

If you’re wondering how Fiji has taken the rugby world by storm, well, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes preparations put in by the coaching staff. The results on the field are also many hours of devising a plan to tackle each of our Rugby World Cup opponents – whether it be a Six Nations or...

Fiji eye quarters

With pool C of the Rugby World Cup wide open, the FIJI Water Flying Fijians will go back to the drawing board to access the different scenarios needed to progress to the quarter-finals. The Simon Raiwalui-coached side beat Australia 22-15 earlier this week to keep their RWC campaign alive after a round 1 26-32 loss...

Boys sharpen their ‘swords’

FIJI Water Flying Fijians prop Samuela Tawake was only 11 years old when Fiji famously beat Wales at Nantes in France in 2007 to qualify for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals. Flashbacks of celebrations in Fiji 16 years ago flooded the 27-year-old’s memories following the Flying Fijians’ victory over Australia this week. Those celebrations were...

Sloppy Samoa left to rue mistakes in defeat by Argentina

Samoa were left to rue too many handling errors at a wet Stade Geoffroy Guichard as they slipped to a 19-10 defeat by Argentina in their Rugby World Cup Pool D fixture on Friday, a blow to their quarter-final hopes. A try with five minutes to go from replacement hooker Sama Malolo gave Samoa some...

Former Wallaby Coleman set to make Tonga debut against Scotland

By Nick Said NICE, France (Reuters) – Coach Toutai Kefu has kept an unchanged starting XV but there could be a Tonga debut for 38-cap former Australia international lock Adam Coleman off the bench against Scotland in their Rugby World Cup Pool B fixture in Nice on Sunday. Kefu resisted the temptation to tinker with...

Ireland won’t only focus on Springbok forward power

PARIS (Reuters) – World number one Ireland are wary of not only the physical threat posed by defending champions South Africa in their Rugby World Cup Pool B clash in Paris on Saturday, but also the battle at the breakdown and the backline danger the Springboks possess. The eagerly-anticipated fixture is likely to decide the...

Wales also desperate to beat Australia in Lyon showdown

LYON, France (Reuters) -Wales coach Warren Gatland said his team will be desperate, but for the right reasons, when they face a Wallabies side playing to keep their World Cup campaign alive in Lyon on Sunday. With bonus-point wins over Fiji and Portugal in their first two matches, Wales could qualify for the quarter-finals with...

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Taylor hails 7s tourney