The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will participate in the 2025 McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens scheduled for January. This announcement was made today by the Fijian Drua and the tournament organizers in Sigatoka.
The McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast 7s is recognized as the country’s top tournament, bringing together leading local and international teams. The event gains further acclaim through the involvement of famous rugby figures.
Historically, the tournament has seen legends such as Waisale Serevi, the late Jonah Lomu, Rasta Rasivhenge, George Gregan, Bryan Habana, and Dan Norton in attendance. Many of these greats are honored on Sigatoka’s ‘Rugby Town Walk of Fame.’
Drua Head Coach Glen Jackson expressed enthusiasm about the tournament, stating, “The Coral Coast 7s is a wonderful tournament and it’s great for us to be able to field a strong Drua team in the competition.” He highlighted that fans will see their favorite Drua players alongside members of the Drua Development team, eager to showcase their skills.
“This is a chance for them to test their abilities—primarily in 15s rugby—against some of the most talented 7s players in the country. We’ll be supporting this fantastic tournament that promotes outstanding rugby talents moving on to excel in both 7s and 15s formats,” he added.
Jay Whyte, Chairman of the McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens Organising Committee, expressed his excitement at the Drua’s participation, stating, “We are absolutely thrilled, honored, and humbled to welcome Fiji’s first professional rugby franchise, the Drua, to our premier 7s tournament in the southern hemisphere.” He expressed gratitude to Mark Evans for his openness during the 2024 tournament regarding the idea of a Drua Sevens team joining in 2025.
“We also appreciate Glen Jackson’s support in allowing his squad to partake in this historic chapter. The people of Fiji have a deep love for their Drua team, as evidenced by 55% of the population tuning in to watch their games. This level of support is simply phenomenal,” he noted.
He concluded by saying, “We look forward to seeing our Drua boys compete against the best from Fiji and around the world during the three days in January 2025 (16-18) here in Rugby Town.”
The McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens will be held from January 16-18 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.