Rugby
Nausori rugby celebrates achievement
THE Nausori Rugby Club celebrated its achievement with families and friends to mark another milestone in their rugby career. Coach Kalivati Cavuilati said this was to give back to their families and friends for their...
‘It is the biggest achievement of our lives’
SUVA, 05 DECEMBER 2019 (WORLD RUGBY) – Rusila Nagasau and Lavenia Tinai will never forget the last month, a whirlwind few weeks in which they have helped Fijiana qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in sevens and a first-ever Rugby World Cup in 15s. Their journey has taken them from Fiji’s capital Suva for...
New Zealand out to defend title at World Rugby Sevens Series opener in Dubai
DUBAI, 05 DECEMBER 2019 (INSIDETHEGAMES) – New Zealand will be looking to defend their title when the opening men’s tournament of the 2019-2020 World Rugby Sevens Series is held in Dubai over the coming three days. Taking place at The Sevens Stadium from tomorrow through to Saturday (December 7) in the United Arab Emirates city,...
Dark horse
Baber rates Kavekini FIJI’S latest sevens inclusion Kavekini Tabu will be unleashed at the 2019-2020 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series this Friday in Dubai. The younger brother of Sevuloni Mocenacagi and Isoa Tabu, has been labelled “the man who could make a difference”. Fiji Airways Fiji 7s men’s coach Gareth Baber said the nimble young...
4th December
Young duo eye national jumper
THE hunger of becoming a national sevens rep in the future forced Ilisoni Kuriyalavou from Draiba village and Ratu Meli Nakasavu from Keiyasi village in the interior of Navosa to leave their homes and travel 120 kilometres to Namatakula village wanting to play for the Ratu Filise under 17 team in the Nadroga rugby sevens tournament that...
Nadroga players boost morale of young ruggers
NADROGA rugby union players boost the morale of the young ruggers participating in the Nadroga rugby sevens tournament at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka. Former and current national reps like Setefano Somoca, Emosi Vucago, Ratunaisa Navuma, Josese Kurokavu, Eremasi Radrodro and Aisea Natoga were present at the ground to support grassroots rugby. Nadroga rugby team veteran...
Fiji star Suliasi Vunivalu confirms his move to rugby union
MELBOURNE Storm winger Suliasi Vunivalu will leave rugby league to switch to rugby union at the end of the 2020 NRL season. The 24-year-old will join rugby union team Queensland Reds following the conclusion of the 2020 NRL season with Melbourne. Vunivalu scored 73 tries in 95 games for the Storm, while going over 12...
Israel Folau, Rugby Australia agree on a settlement
FORMER Wallaby Israel Folau has finally settled his explosive legal dispute with Rugby Australia (RA). According to reports by the New Zealand Herald, the 30-year-old was after $14 million in compensation for wrongful termination after RA sacked him for a code of conduct breach when he said on Instagram earlier this year “hell awaits” gay...
Nadroga 7s: Navosa duo sacrifice holiday for rugby
THE hunger of wanting to be future national sevens rep forced Ilisoni Kuriyalavou from Draiba Village and Ratu Meli Nakasavu from Keiyasi Village in Navosa’s interior to travel 120km to Namatakula Village to play rugby. The duo wanted to play for the Ratu Filise under 17 team competing in the Nadroga rugby sevens tournament that kicked off...
Baber expects tough competition in Dubai
FIJI 7s coach Gareth Baber expects a tough competition in Dubai. Fiji’s first pool match of the 2019/2020 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series kicks off on Friday. Leading Pool A, Fiji faces Argentina, Japan and France with all teams expected to come out firing in the opening round. “It has got to be tough, it’s...
3rd December
Homosexuality vilification complaint lodged against Folau
SYDNEY, 03 DECEMBER 2019 (AAP) – A prominent gay rights campaigner has written to the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW to accuse ex-Wallaby Israel Folau of homosexuality vilification. Activist Garry Burns on Sunday wrote to the board’s president complaining about Folau’s infamous April Instagram post in which he warned hell awaits homosexuals. Burns has demanded Folau...
Taupau’s call to arms to help Samoa amid measles epidemic
SYDNEY, 03 DECEMBER 2019 (NRL) – Manly star Martin Taupau is leading the campaign to spread Christmas cheer to Samoa as the country battles a measles outbreak that has claimed more than 50 lives. As of the latest update, 48 children aged four or under have died from the epidemic and 3,728 cases of the...
Samoa 7s player returns home from Dubai after new-born baby contracts measles
APIA, 03 DECEMBER 2019 (TVNZ) – A Samoan 7s player had to leave Dubai and head home to Samoa for a family emergency. Manu Samoa Sevens player Laaloi Leilua’s four-week-old baby girl has contracted measles as the deadly outbreak of the disease continues in the nation. Samoa 7s Head Coach Sir Gordon Tietjens confirmed Leilua’s...
Nadroga 7s tournament to host 161 teams
THE Nadroga Rugby 7s tournament has released its pool for the inaugural event that will host 161 teams around the country to participate in four days of competition at Lawaqa Park and Kalevu ground in Sigatoka. The tournament kicks off tomorrow with six different categories. The under 13 grades start off their competition tomorrow and...
FRU expands Quick Rip program
THE Fiji Rugby Union in partnership with New Zealand Rugby has expanded the Quick Rip program on Kadavu. The Quick Rip program was introduced last year in an effort to promote a healthy Fiji through sports. FRU aims to expand this program throughout Fiji from the outer islands up to the interior parts of the...
Baber: More than enough potential in Fiji
FIJI 7s coach Gareth Baber believes there is more than enough potential in Fiji to secure the sevens Olympics gold medal until the 2044 Olympic Games. Baber highlighted the natural flair Fijians had for the sport and skill set on hand was more than enough to keep the gold medal in Fiji where it belongs....
Silktails work on bonding
AS they gear up towards the New South Wales Ron Massey Cup, the Kaiviti Silktails team is taking every opportunity to get to know each other. Penioni Tagituimua said the players bond was getting stronger each day. “We are all local players and being part of this squad is a blessing to me, they help...
Pivac lays some six Nations founadtions
New Wales head coach Wayne Pivac was pleased to lay some Six Nations foundations after beginning his reign with victory over the Barbarians. Wales scored six tries in Cardiff as the hosts won 43-33 and Pivac got one over his predecessor Warren Gatland, who was in charge of the invitation XV at the Principality Stadium....
2nd December
Quick Rip Programme expands in Kadavu
THE Fiji Rugby Union in partnership with New Zealand Rugby has expanded the Quick Rip programme in Kadavu. The Quick Rip programme was introduced last year in an effort to promote a healthy Fiji through sports. FRU aims to expand this programme throughout Fiji from the outer islands up to the interior parts of the...
Israel Folau agreed his post hurt people but said he would not stop, Rugby Australia claims
Rugby Australia claims Israel Folau admitted that his social media post caused harm but maintained that he would continue to post “whatever he likes”. The chief executive of Rugby Australia, Raelene Castle, made the comments outside the federal court in Melbourne on Monday where the sacked Wallabies player and his wife, Maria Folau, were attending...
Fiji 7s train in Dubai
THE Fiji Airways Fiji 7s side had a light training session after arriving into Dubai this morning. The Fiji Rugby Union posted pictures on Facebook showing players taking part in a session. The team is expected to get into full gear of training when they return to the grounds tomorrow morning. Fiji 7s is pooled...
Sale Sharks’ pursuit of Nakarawa intensifies
SALE Sharks will this week step up their bid to sign Fijian lock Leone Nakarawa, the former European Player of the Year, who is currently in dispute with Racing 92 to solve a secondrow crisis at the Gallagher Premiership outfit. According to a report by the RugbyPass, Sale’s need for extra secondrow options has become...
Ratu Filise sets 7s mission
RATU Filise rugby sevens team to expose home talents into major tournaments and mould their young talents into becoming future rugby stars. Leading up to the inaugural Nadroga rugby sevens tournament this week, Ratu Filise team manager Sovita Nagatagata said the idea of including the under-13, 15, 17, 19 and women’s teams in the competition...
1st December
Kids rugby program a success
RUGBY Academy of Fiji held their Milo Fiji Kids Friendly Tag Festival yesterday attracting more than 400 children at Albert Park in Suva. Academy founder Seremaia Bai said the holiday program had grown with more children participating at the festival. “We initially started with only 10 children last year and this year we have hit...
A hero returns
AUSTRALIAN rugby back-rower Isi Naisarani was accorded a grand welcome by his family at his village in Naqali in the province of Naitasiri. The occasion marked a milestone for the people of Lomaivuna as they celebrated Naisarani’s achievement in participating in the 2019 Rugby World Cup since his breakout season in the National Rugby Championship...
A tale of two halves
LACK of training ground and facilities because of lack of finance will not deter the Bay of Plenty rugby team as they gear up for the Nadroga rugby sevens tournament next week. Cattle Park is a famous training ground in the interior of Nadroga within the surrounding villages of Nadrala, Nawamagi and Narata because of...
Nadroga loses a star
FORMER Flying Fijian and Nadroga fullback Netava Tamaya was given the name ‘vehaveha’ by the people of his province in Nadroga for a reason and until he passed, people who knew him could not compare any last man down with his calibre. The Nayawa native and father of former Nadroga captain Manoa Tamaya was laid...
Confirmed – Fijiana XVs to play in 2021 RWC
THE song “Vanua Domoni” reverberated the loudest at Churchill Park in Lautoka as the Fijiana XV rewrote the history books to earn the solitary spot at stake to the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand after thrashing a game Manusina XV team 41-13 in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championships 2019 qualifying final yesterday....
30th November
Serevi steps down as Russia 7s coach
SEVENS maestro Waisale Serevi has stepped down as the head coach of the Russia Men’s 7s team after a year. Rugby Union Russia announced the news on the social media platform Twitter also highlighting it was not the end of the Serevi’s journey with Russia rugby. “We’d like to thank the King for his work...
Rugby stars honoured
SEVEN’S speedster Samisoni Viriviri was awarded by President Jioji Konrote the Medal of the Order of Fiji (MOF) for service worthy of a particular recognition. Viriviri received his award alongside Kalione Nasoko and Vatemo Ravouvou during the Order of Fiji investiture ceremony held at the State House yesterday. He said he was thankful to God...
