The Fijian Drua rugby team will be participating in the 2025 McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens tournament, taking place in January. This announcement was made jointly by the Drua and the tournament organizers in Sigatoka.
The Fiji Coral Coast Sevens is one of the most celebrated tournaments in the country, attracting top local and international teams. The event gains additional prestige from the presence of well-known rugby figures. Previous tournaments have featured legends such as Waisale Serevi, the late Jonah Lomu, Rasta Rasivhenge, George Gregan, Bryan Habana, and Dan Norton, many of whom are honored on Sigatoka’s ‘Rugby Town Walk of Fame.’
Drua head coach Glen Jackson expressed enthusiasm for the tournament, stating, “The Coral Coast 7s is a wonderful tournament, and it’s great for us to be able to field a good Drua team in the competition.” He noted that fans will see some of their favorite Drua players participating alongside members of their development team, all eager to showcase their skills.
The tournament presents an opportunity for players primarily focused on 15s rugby to compete against some of the best 7s players in the nation. Jackson emphasized the importance of supporting such events, which highlight top rugby talents who can advance in both 7s and 15s formats.
Several Drua players have experience in sevens rugby, including Iosefo Masi, Elia Canakaivata, Meli Derenalagi, Selestino Ravutaumada, Joseva Tamani, Vilive Miramira, and Frank Lomani. Masi and Derenalagi were part of the gold-medal-winning team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, while Canakaivata played alongside Masi in Fiji’s victory at the 2018 Sevens Rugby World Cup in Cape Town.
Jay Whyte, chairman of the Fiji Coral Coast Sevens organizing committee, expressed excitement about the Drua’s involvement. “We are absolutely thrilled, honored, and humbled to welcome Fiji’s first professional rugby franchise, the Drua, to this premier sevens tournament in the southern hemisphere.” He acknowledged the assistance from Mark Evans and Glen Jackson in making this historic participation possible.
Whyte also highlighted the strong support the Drua team receives from the Fijian public, noting that 55 percent of the nation tunes in to watch them play. He looks forward to seeing the Drua boys compete against the best teams from Fiji and around the world during the tournament, which will be held from January 16-18 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.