The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua celebrated a raucous home victory at 4R Stadium, Govind Park in Ba on Saturday — a 24-14 win over the Highlanders that coaches and players agreed was significant — but the mood in the dressing room was resolutely forward-looking. Head coach Glen Jackson said the milestone mattered, but refused to indulge in celebration: three tough fixtures against the Waratahs, Western Force and Queensland Reds will decide whether the Drua can crack the top six and reach their second Super Rugby Pacific quarterfinal.
“I’m motivated to put this team into a quarter-final. More wins than we had last year. It’s now just a process,” Jackson told reporters, praising the “phenomenal” turnout and labelling Drua supporters “the best fans in the world.” The victory, described by FBC News as history-making, saw the home side overturn a 14-12 half-time deficit to score twice in the second half and shut out the visitors.
Not everyone was ready to bask in the glow. Prop Peni Ravai singled out persistent problems in the lineout as a pressing issue ahead of the run home. “We need to fix our lineout before the Waratahs game, that will be our main work on,” he said, admitting the team had been “lucky to get a win” and disappointed not to secure a bonus point. The Drua have only once reached the playoffs since joining the competition, in 2022 — a benchmark Jackson said his players now have their sights on.
Court orders and education fallout
A separate legal drama in Suva unfolded this week when the High Court ordered Pacific Polytechnic Limited to vacate premises in Samabula East after a long-running tenancy dispute with the trustees of the Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji.
Justice Usaia Ratuvili delivered a ruling on April 24, 2026, finding the trustees had given more than the required notice to end the tenancy — 448 days instead of the 90 days stipulated — and declaring the institution no longer had a legal right to remain on the Crown lease land that houses classrooms, offices, a garage and school grounds. “I find that… the Defendant no longer has a legal right to be on the property,” the Fiji Times reported from the judgment.
The Fiji Times account said the court granted immediate vacant possession. FBC News, covering the same ruling, noted the court suspended the eviction order for one month to allow Pacific Polytechnic time to vacate the site. The institution had contested the application, arguing the termination was disputed and that complex legal and factual issues required a full trial; it also told the court it had continued paying rent and relied on the property to deliver education.
Students, staff and parents will be watching closely as the deadline approaches; the property in Samabula is not only classroom space but also forms part of the college’s public face in Suva. The differing accounts of immediate possession versus a one-month suspension suggest the legal and logistical consequences will continue to play out in the courts and on the ground.
Weather eases across Viti Levu
The Fiji Meteorological Service has cancelled a heavy rain alert that covered interior, southern and eastern parts of Viti Levu, Cakaudrove and southern Bua, Taveuni and nearby smaller islands, the Lomaiviti Group and Kadavu, the National Weather Forecasting Centre said in a special bulletin issued at 10am on May 3. The trough of low pressure that had brought cloud, showers and rain is moving east of Fiji.
Despite the lifted alert, forecasters warned of occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms in pockets including Rakiraki, Korovou, Naitasiri, Nausori, Suva, Navua, Pacific Harbour and Sigatoka. Conditions were expected to gradually ease later in the day.
Economists warn on State of Emergency risk to tourism
Former minister and economist Dr. Mahendra Reddy sounded a broad economic warning this week over the prospect of a State of Emergency. Dr. Reddy told the Fiji Times an SOE would send a “powerful signal” that the country was confronting “exceptional instability,” with consequences that would ripple through a tourism-dependent economy.
“Fiji’s tourism industry remains one of the principal pillars of the national economy… supporting hotel workers, transport providers, farmers, fishermen, artisans and small businesses,” he said, urging caution about the international perceptions that can influence investment and visitor choices. His comments arrive as other islands in the Pacific work to rebuild and diversify tourism arrivals and services.
Yasawa-i-Rara’s return to expedition cruising
In contrast to the cautionary economic note, there was positive news for one remote community this week as cruise activity resumed on Yasawa‑i‑Rara. Seabourn Pursuit made its third call to the island, bringing more than 180 visitors and renewed earning opportunities for local people who organised cultural tours, handicrafts and locally prepared food.
Islands Business reported the return was enabled by updated nautical charts from the Fiji Hydrographic Service and Transam Fiji Limited, with support from Australia’s Market Development Facility. The iTaukei Trust Fund Board assisted the community with readiness and preparation. Seabourn expedition leader Dom del Rosario praised the island’s “pristine beaches” and the community welcome, saying Yasawa‑i‑Rara consistently ranks among the most outstanding destinations in the South Pacific.
The renewed cruise calls are tangible income for a village economy but also require tight organisation and accurate hydrographic information — the very factors that allowed larger ships to visit more frequently.
Ships that serve before they sail
Another vessel operating in the region, the Doulos Hope, continues a quieter but sustained outreach. Operated by GBA Ships and billed as a floating library and community hub, the ship’s small land teams begin work before passengers ever board — walking into schools, hospitals and underserved communities to deliver donations, fellowship and practical help.
Brazilian volunteer Daniel Santana Granja told the Fiji Times the crews aim to show people “they are not forgotten,” whether through books, coffee on deck or the day-to-day support the ship’s volunteers provide in port calls across the Asia–Pacific.
Pacific solutions on waste oil
Across the region, Vanuatu has launched a pilot project to recycle waste oil from ships into usable fuel. Oceans Environmental Solutions, led by Andrew Bohn, is operating a pyrolysis plant at Melek Tree on Efate that heats waste oil to produce vapours which are then condensed back into fuel — a process Islands Business likened to distillation.
Bohn pointed to a long-standing gap in Vanuatu: a lack of recycling systems for ship-generated oil, forcing operators into storage or unsafe dumping. The pilot aims to create an alternative that reduces environmental risk and produces usable fuel — a small but practical example of how Pacific islands are confronting waste management challenges linked to maritime traffic.
A record that refuses to fall
On a different note, the athletics world in Fiji paused to remember Loata Delana Turagavuli, who still holds the oldest standing mark in the Coca-Cola Games. Her 5.30-metre Junior Girls Long Jump at the 1981 Fiji Finals has stood for 45 years. Now 60 and living in Muana‑I‑Ra, Vutia, Rewa, Turagavuli’s name is invoked each time young athletes chase records at HFC Bank Stadium — a reminder that some national marks endure as pieces of sporting folklore.
Together these stories — from Govind Park’s roar and the Drua’s survival-and-ambition, to legal battles over school premises in Samabula, easing weather, and renewed cruise calls to remote islands — sketch a snapshot of a country balancing competition, community and the practicalities of life in the Pacific.