A rugby 7s tournament is planned for next weekend in Nadi, aiming to raise funds for the construction of a church for the All Nations Christian Fellowship. The Epic 7s tournament has already garnered interest from some of the country’s best teams, with 24 sides confirming their participation.
Teams such as Police Blue and White, Wardens, and Tabadamu have secured their spots, along with Fiji Bitter Series champions Lavidi Brothers and Kingston Wadigi.
Members of the church have been brainstorming ways to fund the project and believe rugby is an excellent platform for fundraising. Tournament director Vilitati Galivia stated, “We have identified a piece of land in Veikoba, Nasinu, where we hope to build a church with a capacity of 15,000 people. We have plans for when we want to begin construction and are developing various fundraising initiatives.”
Galivia emphasized that organizing this rugby 7s tournament was a strategic move to reach a broader audience. The tournament, organized over the past two months, will feature 24 teams in the main men’s division and 24 teams in the under-21 category. The goal is to eventually accommodate between 32 to 48 teams in the men’s category.
The winners of the senior men’s cup will receive a significant prize of $10,000, while the runner-up will take home $5,000. In the under-21 category, the champions will earn $2,500, and the runner-up will get $1,000.
The tournament is set to take place on August 30-31 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. Ticket prices are as follows: on the first day, adults will be charged $7 and kids $3; on the second day, tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for children.