The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will compete at the 2025 McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens scheduled for January. This news was announced today in Sigatoka by representatives from both the Fijian Drua and the tournament’s organizers.
The McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens is recognized as the country’s leading tournament, showcasing top local teams and international participants. The event gains additional prominence through the appearance of well-known rugby figures.
Previous seasons have seen attendance from rugby legends such as Waisale Serevi, the late Jonah Lomu, Rasta Rasivhenge, George Gregan, Bryan Habana, and Dan Norton, who are also honored on Sigatoka’s ‘Rugby Town Walk of Fame.’
Drua Head Coach Glen Jackson expressed his excitement, commenting, “The Coral Coast 7s is a fantastic tournament, and we are pleased to enter a strong Drua team into the competition.” He noted that fans will recognize several of their favorite Drua players, along with members of the Drua Development team, eager to showcase their skills.
“This is an opportunity for players, primarily focused on 15s rugby, to test themselves against some of the country’s best 7s players. We will support this fantastic tournament, which highlights emerging rugby talents who progress to greater achievements in both 7s and 15s rugby,” Jackson added.
Jay Whyte, Chairman of the McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens Organising Committee, stated, “We are incredibly excited and honored to welcome Fiji’s first professional rugby franchise, the Drua, to participate in this premier 7s tournament in the southern hemisphere.”
He expressed gratitude to Mark Evans, who supported the idea of having a Drua Sevens team during the 2024 tournament, as well as appreciation for Glen Jackson’s endorsement for his squad’s involvement in this historic moment. Notably, he highlighted the overwhelming support for the Drua, noting that 55% of the Fijian population tunes in to watch the team play, which reflects their phenomenal popularity.
Looking ahead, Whyte stated, “We are eager to see how our Drua players will perform against the best teams from Fiji and around the world over the three days in January 2025 (16-18) in Rugby Town.”
The McDonald’s Fiji Coral Coast Sevens will be held from January 16-18 at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.