Suva rugby head coach Solo Nute is counting on Police Blue to successfully defend the Suva Rugby Union’s Escott Shield against Navy in the grand final scheduled for Saturday, September 21.
“I’m with the Police team and I hope they perform well against Navy,” Nute expressed. He noted that this final is critical for their preparation, especially with no other competitive events like the Skipper Cup currently available, making the Escott Shield their main focus.
Nute emphasized the need for Police players to enhance their fitness levels and improve their scrum control. “Game management will be essential for them to create more scoring opportunities,” he mentioned.
With the Hibiscus Festival concluded, he encouraged Suva supporters to show up in large numbers to back their teams during the grand final.
Looking ahead, Nute revealed that the Suva team plans to commence pre-season training in January next year. “We’ll review the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) calendar of events and adjust our plans accordingly,” he noted.
He also indicated that there are promising players emerging from the FRU High Performance Unit as well as from the Suva setup. Nute expressed optimism about bringing a few Fiji Under-20 players into his squad, aiming to blend experienced and younger talent to enhance their player pool ahead of the next Skipper Cup selection.