Negotiations are currently underway for the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua to host all of their pre-season matches locally this year. Head coach Glen Jackson mentioned in a recent interview that the team aims to approach this season differently by opting for all home pre-season games, allowing them to benefit from their environment.
Jackson noted that discussions are expected to include a match against the RFC Los Angeles rugby team, which may materialize at the end of January. The Los Angeles club features Semi Kunatani, a former Flying Fijian flanker and gold medalist from the Rio Olympic Games, who competes in the American Major League Rugby.
Additionally, Drua management is working on organizing an internal trial game featuring the team’s players competing against one another. Jackson also stated that while not yet confirmed, the Drua hopes to play against the Provincial Union teams from the Skipper Cup competition, which includes teams such as Nadroga, Naitasiri, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Suva, Tailevu, Macuata, Namosi, and Malolo.
“It would be beneficial to compete against the Skipper Cup teams in Nadi. We want to share these opportunities across the country and facilitate some quality games here,” Jackson remarked.
Furthermore, the Drua aims to participate in local sevens rugby tournaments, having already secured a spot in the McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens tournament early next year. This event presents an opportunity for Drua players, primarily focused on 15s rugby, to showcase their skills against some of the country’s top sevens talent.
In another development, the Drua’s pre-season camp in Kadavu is beginning to take shape, with Jackson and Head of Athletic Performance Naca Cawanibuka inspecting potential camping sites. The duo recently presented their traditional i-sevusevu at Tavuki Village before moving on to Vunisea. Jackson emphasized that the aim of the pre-season camp is to foster team bonding both on and off the field.