Emosi Tuqiri says the Fijian Drua have built genuine depth across the park this season, a development he believes gives the Super Rugby Pacific side the freedom to rotate players without weakening the team. The comments come as the Drua prepare to host the ACT Brumbies in Ba this weekend — the town’s first-ever Super Rugby Pacific match — a fixture Tuqiri framed as an opportunity to showcase the squad’s growing strength.
“Competition for places has really heated up,” the prop said. “I think this year, out of all the years, not just in the front row but in every position, we’ve created depth now. Where it doesn’t matter who plays week in and week out, we trust whoever does the job and we give our full support.” Tuqiri’s assessment underlines a shift in the Drua’s selection philosophy, with players pushing one another for starting berths and coaches able to call on credible replacements across the matchday 23.
Tuqiri also touched on the familiar face within the team set-up: his cousin, former international Nemani Nadolo, who is serving as the Drua’s development coach. While acknowledging the personal element of having family on staff, Tuqiri stressed professionalism remains paramount during training and match preparations. “It’s good and it’s a message for the family, but when we’re in training and at work it’s a bit professional. But outside of it, it’s still all fun and games,” he said.
The Drua’s emphasis on depth arrives amid wider expectations about the franchise’s progress. Observers have noted the team’s rapid rise since entering Super Rugby and the impact of targeted recruitment and development pathways. Pre-season performances showed signs of promise from new faces and returning campaigners alike, and the ability to trust a broader pool of players gives the coaching staff tactical flexibility — able to manage workload, cover injuries and adapt game plans without a drop in intensity.
For this weekend’s clash in Ba, that flexibility could be crucial. Hosting the Brumbies in a provincial rugby stronghold is both a symbolic and practical milestone for the Drua’s mission to deepen its Fiji roots. Playing in Ba expands opportunities for local fans to see top-level rugby at home and feeds into the club’s broader strategy to strengthen commercial and community ties across the country.
Tuqiri’s comments signal more than confidence in the matchday 23; they point to an organisational maturity that values sustainable squad building. If the Drua can back those words on the field, rotating players without loss of performance, it will reinforce claims that the franchise is maturing into a competitive and resilient force in Super Rugby Pacific. The encounter with the Brumbies will be an early test of that assertion, on a turf that has never before hosted rugby at this level.
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