WITH only eight registered teams in its first year, the 2019 Sigatoka Electric Nadroga Super Rugby Championship has increased to a surplus 14 teams that will clash for the title of Nadroga Super Rugby champion.
Nadroga Rugby has once again taken centre stage with the implementation of the Super Rugby Championship keeping rugby products of the Nadroga Rugby machine well-tuned.
“It is all about keeping our players to a pathway,” said Nadroga Rugby Union president Jikoibau Matawalu yesterday.
“To bridge the gap between the club level competition and the provincial level there is a need for another tournament to keep our players engaged. Matawalu highlighted the increase in number of teams which shows the insurmountable rugby talent flowing from the province of Nadroga.
“Fourteen out of the 22 tikina in Nadroga have now provided teams to the competition.
“The numbers will no doubt increase next year.”
With the increase in teams also sees a change in format from last year with two pools of seven teams to engage in 10 weeks of competition.
Matawalu said with the Super Rugby initiative it also gives their selectors a further edge in selecting the finest of their players to represent the team in the upcoming Skipper Cup tournament later this year.
“With the time frame reduced by the Fiji Rugby Union, this format allows for our players to have consistent game time leading up to the Skipper Cup,” he said.
The final round of pre-season games will be held this weekend at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
