Canterbury Bulldogs hooker Penioni Tagituimua is anticipated to be included in the Fiji Bati squad to be announced today. His inclusion comes after Wests Tigers captain Api Koroisau, a fellow Fiji representative, was suspended for three matches following a dangerous tackle during a loss to the Eels. Koroisau’s tackle on Clint Gutherson in the 52nd minute at Campbelltown Sports Stadium was deemed a Grade 2 offense, resulting in a three-game ban due to it being his second infraction, even with an early guilty plea.
National coach Wise Kativerata praised Tagituimua, stating, “In the past, Tagituimua has always given his best for the jersey. We saw that in the last World Cup, Tagituimua did a great job and we look forward to seeing him back in the squad.”
Tagituimua started his rugby league career in 2013 with the Nadera Panthers in the Vodafone Cup competition. In 2019, he was the sole player from the Fijian domestic league selected for Fiji’s squad during a mid-season match against Lebanon. Initially slated to be the 18th man, injuries allowed him to make his Test debut off the bench in a commanding 56-14 victory.
Fiji Bati will begin their Pacific Bowl campaign against Papua New Guinea on Saturday, October 19, in Fiji, followed by a match against the Cook Islands the following week. The winner of the Pacific Bowl is set to compete against the third-placed team in the Pacific Cup at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, November 10, in a promotion-relegation match for next year’s tournament. The squad announcement is expected today.