The Vodafone Fiji Bati are in the spotlight as they face the Cook Islands Aitu tonight. A victory against the Cooks would significantly boost the Bati’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
Last Saturday, the Bati’s path to World Cup qualification was disrupted when they lost 22-10 to the Papua New Guinea Kumuls in front of a large crowd at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Despite this setback, head coach Wise Kativerata remains optimistic, emphasizing the importance of tonight’s game. “It’s important, very important (the game), not only to the Bati but to the Fiji Rugby League as we are building towards the World Cup,” Kativerata remarked.
He also noted that the score from last week’s match against the Kumuls shouldn’t overshadow the underlying issues that need addressing. “Last week a lot of people looked at the score, they didn’t look at the fundamental points that we needed to work on,” he said.
Kativerata identified that the team struggled with intercepts, which the Kumuls exploited effectively.
In a further twist, regardless of the game’s outcome tonight, the Bati could still have a chance for World Cup qualification if the Cook Islands manage to defeat the Kumuls next month in Port Moresby.
The match between the Bati and the Cooks is scheduled for 8:10 PM at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
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