Fiji Airways Fijiana sevens team narrowly missed out on a fifth-place playoff final, suffering a 26–19 defeat to Canada during the semifinal at the Perth Sevens today. The match at HBF Park was a hard-fought battle right from the onset, with Fiji displaying strong offensive intent and taking a slight 12–7 advantage into halftime.
After the break, Canada regrouped and capitalized on their chances, scoring four vital tries through Alysha Corrigan, Savannah Bauder, Fancy Bermudez, and Olivia Apps, who also converted three of the tries, shifting the momentum in favor of Canada. Despite the setbacks, Fiji remained competitive with tries from Reapi Ulunisau, Verenaisi Ditavutu, and Mariana Talatoka, supplemented by two conversions from Ana Maria Naimasi to keep the pressure on their opponents.
As the match approached its conclusion, Fiji mounted a late push but were unable to overcome Canada’s solid defense, resulting in a final score of 26–19. This defeat means that the Fijian team will now compete in the playoff for seventh place, aiming to finish their Perth Sevens campaign on a high note.
The competitive spirit displayed by both teams bodes well for Fiji as they seek to regroup and take lessons from this semifinal experience. While falling short of the fifth-place final is disappointing, the Fijiana team’s resolve and talent provide optimism for their upcoming matches.
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