As the Fiji Bitter Marist 7s approaches later this month, organisers have announced a new environmental initiative that will see 128 team captains take part in a tree-planting exercise next Wednesday at the Damodar Arts Village in Pacific Harbour. The activity, unveiled yesterday at the Paradise Beverages Fiji office in Walu Bay, Suva, is being promoted as both an awareness drive for sustainability and a way to mark the tournament’s 50th anniversary.
The announcement was made by Div Damodar, chief executive officer of the Damodar Group of Companies, alongside Marist 7s organising committee member Lawrence Tikaram, Damodar Arts Village marketing executive Tuula Aitcheson Mallam and Fiji Bitter brand manager Maxine Edwards. Damodar said the exercise is intended to “enhance the awareness of our environment” while celebrating what he called “the most successful tournament Fiji has ever seen, the Fiji Bitter Marist 7s.”
Damodar also spoke of a personal connection to the event: his father was a Marist Old Boy and, during his school days at Flagstaff, belonged to the house of Claudius. “The Marist firepower is very strong in the Damodar family and we continue with that spirit of the Marist brotherhood,” he said, adding that he hopes the tournament will remain a breeding ground for national talent as it has been historically.
Fiji Bitter’s involvement is being cast as more than a sponsorship. Brand manager Maxine Edwards said the partnership reflects shared values around nurturing grassroots talent, community support through sport and environmental stewardship. “This is a powerful way to honour their journey while investing in the future, planting roots that will grow for generations to come, just like the legacy of the partnerships we’ve built,” Edwards said.
Organisers confirmed the Marist 7s tournament itself will be held from March 26-29 in Suva. The timing of the tree-planting, scheduled for the week before the event, is framed as an opportunity to bring together team leaders from across the competition and visibly link the sport to community and environmental initiatives.
The Damodar Arts Village, the site chosen for the planting exercise, was represented at yesterday’s briefing by marketing executive Tuula Aitcheson Mallam, who joined in promoting the activity as part of the village’s wider community engagement. Lawrence Tikaram’s presence underlines the organising committee’s commitment to incorporating off-field events into the Marist 7s calendar as it marks five decades of competition.
This development follows continued efforts by tournament partners to broaden the event’s impact beyond rugby, combining celebration of the Marist 7s’ sporting legacy with tangible community and sustainability projects in the lead-up to the March tournament.
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