Aflame Colo-i‑Suva’s women’s side will regroup after a learning outing at the 50th Fiji Bitter Marist 7s, head coach Meresiana Niumataiwalu said after the team’s exit from the tournament at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva yesterday. The newly led side lost all three of its pool matches and bowed out early, but Niumataiwalu stressed the value of the experience for a very young squad.
“It was a great experience for the girls,” Niumataiwalu said. “Getting a chance to play against experienced teams and players is a great boost for the team.” She pointed to the makeup of the squad — many players new to the sport and to sevens — as both the reason for the tournament struggles and the source of optimism for the future. The coach said the exposure at Marist 7s will accelerate their development more effectively than training alone.
Niumataiwalu promised the team will take lessons from the pool-stage defeats and use them to build stronger combinations and fitness ahead of other competitions. “We won’t look back from here, we will move forward, regroup and come back stronger in other tournaments ahead,” she said, adding that coaches and players will review performances and return to work on the fundamentals that showed up during the event.
The Marist 7s provided a high-level testing ground for Colo‑i‑Suva’s newcomers; Niumataiwalu said playing against seasoned opposition revealed areas where the team must grow — decision-making under pressure, set-piece organization and match tempo. Early exposure to that level, she said, is a deliberate strategy: “We have a young team, most of our players are new to the sport, but getting a chance to exposure themselves in a young age is something great.”
Niumataiwalu also used the podium to thank the community behind the team — supporters, families and sponsors — singling out Aflame for their backing. She said their support was critical in giving the players the platform to compete at a marquee domestic event and signalled that the partnership will continue as the team pursues improvement.
The outcome at the HFC Bank Stadium serves as the latest chapter for Colo‑i‑Suva’s women as they stake a claim in Fiji’s growing women’s rugby scene. Their focus on youth development mirrors wider efforts within Fijian sport to identify and nurture talent from an early age, a strategy officials say will pay dividends over the coming years. Niumataiwalu’s message was clear: the exit hurts now, but it is expected to be a stepping stone toward a more competitive return at next year’s Marist 7s.
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