The Fiji Times

Chiefs wary – McMillan: We’re under no illusions

Chiefs coach Cameron McMillan says they are under no illusions of the challenge they face in the last round of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign against a Fijian Drua side playing in front of its home crowd tomorrow. The franchise team, with players from the Waikato region in New Zealand, touched down yesterday at the...

Habosi: I play for my parents

Robust Swire Shipping Fijian Drua winger Vinaya Habosi has one thing on his mind whenever he runs out on to the field and that is to make his parents proud. The in-form winger, who has taken the Super Rugby Pacific competition by storm, will play against the Chiefs at Churchill Park in Lautoka tomorrow. Speaking...

Family eager to watch ‘Gus’ play

When Pita Gus Nacagilevu Sowakula runs out for the Chiefs on to Churchill Park against the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua tomorrow, he will have his family behind him to cheer him on. Waiting for his arrival at the Nadi International Airport yesterday, his mother Anaseini Sowakula and aunt Lavenia Adikovea prepared garlands for the Chiefs...

Drua names best 15 against Chiefs

Swire Shipping Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne has named a powerful line-up for the side’s final 2022 Super Rugby Pacific competition match against Pita Gus Sowakula’s Chiefs on Saturday at Churchill Park in Lautoka. Byrne has opted for Haereiti Hetet at loosehead prop, Zuriel Togiatama at hooker and Kaliopasi Uluilakeba at tighthead prop as...

Team’s loss is Benetton’s gain as Ratave inks deal

Swire Shipping Fijian Drua winger Onisi Ratave will play his last match for the local Super Rugby side tomorrow. The 30-year-old has signed a two-year deal with Italy-based club Benetton effective from July 1, 2022 through to June 30, 2024. Ratave lit up the National Provincial Championship in New Zealand last year for the Bay...

High hopes for Fiji 7s

Hopes are high that the Fiji 7s team can jump to the head of the World Rugby Sevens Series standings if it retains this weekend’s London Sevens title. The 2019 champion has a new coach in England’s former skipper Ben Gollings, who will try and deny his countrymen their own piece of sevens glory and...

Naiova sets Escott dream, aims for a win

Mosese Naiova has a wish to achieve before sunset today. The 32-year-old Police Blue 15s rugby captain wants to lead his side into next week’s final of the Suva Rugby Union Digicel Escott Shield by beating Covenant Brothers in the semi-finals at Buckhurst Ground, Laucala Bay, Suva this afternoon. Police Blue meets Covenant Brothers while...

Drua promotion winner excited about tomorrow’s Super Rugby match

An elated Jone Nalibu of Nadi is the lucky winner of The Fiji Times Drua promotion for tomorrow’s Chiefs versus Drua match in Churchill Park, Lautoka. After receiving the $95 ticket, Mr Nalibu said he was extremely happy to have been able to attend tomorrow’s Super Rugby game. “I’m very happy and very excited and I want to...

Duo to get a chance to play against countrymen

Fijians, Pita Gus Sowakula and Emoni Narawa will both get a chance to play for the Chiefs in their homecoming match against the Fijian Drua at Churchill Park in Lautoka tomorrow. Sowakula, who was born in Lautoka, and Emoni Narawa also born in Fiji, have been named by Gallagher Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan in...

Drua course – Mataiciwa wants to beat Chiefs at home

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua is aiming to end the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season on a high note with a win against the Chiefs in Lautoka on Saturday. This will create a positive mindset for next year’s competition in the Super Rugby Pacific fixtures. The Fijian Drua team has won two out of their...

Rarasea calls for support

Swire Shipping Fijian Drua lock Viliame Rarasea expects the Western fans to fill up Churchill Park for the final match of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific competition against the Chiefs this Saturday. The Fijian Drua first home game at the ANZ Stadium against the Highlanders in Suva last month attracted more than 15,000 spectators. Rarasea...

Byrne wants the Drua to drown the Chiefs

The head coach of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua Mick Byrne is looking forward to an improved performance from his band of warriors after being skinned by the Crusaders 3-61 last week at Christchurch’s Orangetheory Stadium when the side clashes with Pita Gus Sowakula’s Chiefs on Saturday at Churchill Park in Lautoka. Byrne said the...

Schools visit excite Nadi children

Members of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua team took time out from their training schedule to conduct community programs yesterday. Hooker Zuriel Togiatama, halfback Peni Matawalu and Selestino Ravutaumada visited Namaka Public School to engage with the Get Into Rugby (GIR) PLUS clinic with the students. Team Up which is the Australian government’s sport for...

Home advantage for Fijian Drua

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua has acclimatised well to the hot conditions in the country. The side arrived in the country last Saturday following the match against Crusaders the previous day. Hooker Tevita Ikanivere said the weather change should play to their advantage because they had been in the country longer than the Chiefs who...

Breaking barriers – Language difficulties fail to stop Chiefs’ Fijian talisman

Pita Gus Nacagilevu Sowakula has been a standout player for the Chiefs this season. He is no doubt an integral part of the team. Starting out his career in the Land of the Long White Cloud was certainly not easy and Sowakula shared how he struggled throughout the journey. “I started my rugby in New...

Thorburn excited with ticket sales

Fijian Drua chief executive ofﬁcer Brian Thorburn is smiling from ear to ear after the excellent response from the thousands of rugby fans in the country who have bought tickets for the Drua’s home game against the Chiefs on Saturday at Churchill Park in Lautoka. Thorburn said he was delirious to note the massive support...

Clubs fodge friendship over trophy

“Youths are our future and we are doing this for their holistic development.” These were the words of Vunidakua Rugby Club games committee chairman Peni Matasau at the launch of the Solomoni Naivalu trophy on Thursday last week. The trophy will be challenged yearly between his club and the Senikau Rugby Club from Naitasiri. “The...

‘Best for last’

Swire Shipping Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne has hinted of producing spellbinding moments during the Drua’s ﬁnal match of a regular season in a remodelled Super Rugby Paciﬁc competition against the Chiefs on Saturday at Churchill Park in Lautoka. Byrne said they had created a team where standards had been set and should not...

Super Rugby Pacific playoffs: Permutations and possibilities for each team in final round

It’s the final round of the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific and the top eight to contest the quarterfinals are all but locked in. The Blues are guaranteed to finish first after Beauden Barrett’s last-gasp drop goal sunk the Brumbies for a dramatic 21-19 win in Canberra on Saturday. The order of second to eighth will be...

Thorburn thanks Government’s timely support

The interim chief executive officer of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua has paid tribute to the Government for its financial support to the Drua, which has materially benefited the team’s historic maiden voyage in a revamped Super Rugby Pacific competition that features five New Zealand and Australian franchises alongside fellow newbies Moana Pasifika. Brian Thorburn...

Park gets a face-lift

The thousands of patrons expected to converge at Lautoka’s Churchill Park on Saturday for the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua’s final match of the season in a revamped Super Rugby Pacific competition against the Gallagher Waikato Chiefs are expected to witness some noteworthy improvements to the infrastructure. The visionary leadership of interim chief executive officer of...

Skipper praises boys; Daugunu commends teamwork

Reigning Olympic gold medallists in 7s rugby Fiji turned on the style to take top honours at the HSBC France 7s in Toulouse early yesterday morning. The Ben Gollings-coached side overhauled first time finalists Ireland with a “come-from-behind” 29-17 win to claim the men’s title. Victorious captain of the Fiji Airways Fiji 7s team Tevita...

Drua call for ‘extra man’; Thorburn urges fans to support boys against Chiefs

The interim chief executive officer of the Fijian Drua has called on local rugby supporters to become an “extra man” when the Drua conclude their maiden voyage in unchartered waters with a date against the high-flying and Clayton McMillan-coached Chiefs of Waikato, New Zealand on Saturday at Churchill Park in Lautoka. Brian Thorburn said the...

Drua after best finish

Swire Shipping Fijian Drua is determined to finish the Super Rugby Pacific season on a high note. The Drua is placed in the second last position above wooden placed Moana Pasifika. Drua coach Mick Byrne said the team was happy to be back in the county. He said the players had been away from their...

Fiji 7s team win Toulouse title; Fijiana settle for bronze

Fiji Airways Fiji 7s rugby side won the men’s title in Toulouse, beating first-time finalists Ireland 29-17 this morning. Fiji 7s skipper, Tevita Daugunu said “Teamwork in defence and attack was what this victory was built on. We kept the ball well and stuck to our game plan.’’ “To all the Fijians around the globe,...

Nasilasila plays for Namosi

Former Fiji 7s rep Amenoni Nasilasila was back in action in the Skipper Cup competition for Namosi against Tailevu at Thomson Park in Navua yesterday. Nasilasila, now serving a sentence for rape at the Naboro Corrections Centre, started the match at fly half and finished off at fullback. Meanwhile, poor decision making and indiscipline cost...

U20 lines up matches

The head coach of the national U20 rugby team preparing for the coming Oceania Rugby U20 Championship in Australia from July 1-10, is excited at the prospects of unearthing future Flying Fijians including the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua. Ifereimi Rawaqa said it was an important part of Fiji Rugby Union’s high-performance system because the competition...

Push to have Fiji men’s netball team

Netball Fiji says it aims to lift the profile of men’s netball by putting in place steps to have a national team compete at the international level. Netball Fiji chief executive officer Vivian Koster said there was a lot of interest and talent shown to augur for a men’s team to compete against top nations....

Naiova hat-trick puts Police in Escott semis

The Police Blue Rugby team outmuscled Marist 28-3 in the first quarter-final of the Suva Rugby Union Digicel Escott Shield competition at the Buckhurst ground in Laucala Bay yesterday. Police number 8 Mosese Naiova registered the first points for the men from Nasova in the 15th minute after a good passage of hard running from...

Rugby

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