The Vodafone Fijiana XV faced a narrow defeat against Spain, losing 8-10 in an exciting match at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai yesterday.
Fijiana full back Luisa Tisolo opened the scoring with a successful penalty kick, putting the team ahead 3-0. However, a last-minute try by Adita Milinia brought the score to a tie. Tisolo had the chance to secure a win with a conversion kick, but her attempt missed the goalposts, resulting in a victory for Spain.
This match marked the end of Fijiana’s WXV3 series campaign, following a 38-3 victory over Hong Kong China last month and a 17-45 loss to Samoa last week. Despite the defeat, Fijiana could have claimed the WXV3 series title if it weren’t for Samoa’s convincing 46-15 win over Madagascar, which also secured them a spot in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Head coach Mosese Rauluni, in his final match with the team, aimed for a farewell win. The close two-point margin reflected the team’s commendable effort, though it ultimately fell short.
As the team concludes their participation in WXV3, they have already qualified for the World Cup by defeating Samoa 27-13 in the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship final in June.
Samoa and Spain will also proceed to the World Cup next August.