Fresh’et Navy opened their title defense in emphatic fashion, downing Lilian Amazon 19-5 in the opening match of the 50th Fiji Bitter Marist 7s at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva this morning. The landmark edition of the long-running sevens carnival kicked off with a full slate of women’s and U18–U21 fixtures, giving several teams an early statement of intent.
The defending women’s champions showed composure in their return to Marist, putting points on the board early and denying Lilian Amazon a foothold in the contest. The 19-5 scoreline will boost Fresh’et Navy’s confidence as they seek to retain the trophy in the tournament’s golden anniversary year, while Lilian Amazon will look to regroup ahead of their remaining pool matches.
Other results in the women’s grade produced tight contests. Loloma Heights edged Striders Women’s 14-7 in a closely fought encounter, and host club Marist recorded a 7-0 victory over Flametree Colo-i-Suva. Those outcomes leave several sides in contention as the pool phase unfolds and teams vie for positions going into knockout play.
The opening day also served up competitive action in the U18–U21 categories and the men’s U21 division. St Theresa prevailed over Seni Ivi rugby 12-5 in the U21 grade, while Devo Young Babas produced a dominant 26-0 triumph against Elem Brothers. The Devo Young Babas’ comprehensive win continues a run of strong form for the side, reinforcing pre-tournament expectations that they would be among the teams to beat at Marist.
The 50th Fiji Bitter Marist 7s returns to HFC Bank Stadium amid heightened interest after a busy season of Fiji Bitter series events around the country. With several grades on show this morning, the tournament promises more high-tempo rugby over the coming days as teams progress from pool matches into knockout rounds. Early winners Fresh’et Navy and Devo Young Babas will be ones to watch as the competition builds toward its finals.
Organisers and fans alike will be monitoring how the opening-day results shape the draw and momentum moving forward in this milestone edition of the Marist 7s. More fixtures across the men’s and women’s grades are scheduled for the weekend as clubs chase honours in what remains one of Fiji’s most storied sevens tournaments.
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