A new memorial trophy honouring late rugby great Joeli Vidiri will be contested for the first time this weekend when the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua visit the Auckland Blues in round seven of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific at Eden Park. The Blues announced the Joeli Vidiri Memorial Trophy on Thursday, saying the new award will be played for annually whenever the two sides meet.
The inaugural match for the trophy is scheduled for 6.05pm on Saturday at Eden Park, and a special on-field presentation involving members of the Vidiri family is planned as part of the game-day program. Fans in Fiji can watch the live broadcast on FBC Sports, with local coverage expected to highlight the family tribute and the ceremony establishing the new fixture honour.
Vidiri’s career bridged Fiji and New Zealand rugby and the trophy is intended to reflect that connection. He represented the FIJI Water Flying Fijians before becoming an All Black in the 1990s, and went on to become a standout figure for the Blues between 1996 and 2001. Vidiri scored 43 tries in 61 appearances for Auckland, earning a reputation as one of the most electrifying wingers of his era for his powerful running and humility, qualities the Blues say the new trophy seeks to celebrate.
The winger’s playing days were cut short after a diagnosis of a serious kidney illness in 2001, and he died in 2022. The new memorial is a formal recognition from both clubs of Vidiri’s lasting impact on the two rugby nations, and the Blues have framed the trophy as celebrating a legacy that went beyond on-field exploits to symbolise the bonds between Fiji and New Zealand rugby communities.
Saturday’s match adds further significance to the Super Rugby Pacific calendar for both sides. The Drua, representing Fiji in the Australia- and New Zealand-based competition, have rapidly become a focal point for Fijian talent in the professional game, while the Blues maintain a long-standing Auckland base and history with players like Vidiri who crossed national lines in their careers. The annual contest for the Joeli Vidiri Memorial Trophy will ensure that every meeting between the two clubs carries an additional commemorative dimension.
The introduction of the trophy is the latest development in efforts by clubs and governing bodies to mark the contributions of players who have helped knit Pacific and New Zealand rugby together. This weekend’s ceremony at Eden Park will be the first occasion supporters from both nations see the new trophy contested and pay tribute to Vidiri’s memory on a high-profile Super Rugby stage.
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