A rugby 7s tournament is set to take place in Nadi next weekend, aimed at raising funds for the construction of a church for the All Nations Christian Fellowship. The Epic 7s tournament has already garnered interest from many top teams, with a total of 24 teams confirming their participation.
Participating teams include Police Blue and White, Wardens, and Tabadamu, along with the Fiji Bitter Series winners, Lavidi Brothers and Kingston Wadigi, who have also registered for the event.
Members of the church have been brainstorming various fundraising initiatives and see rugby as a suitable avenue for support. Tournament director Vilitati Galivia explained that they have identified a piece of land in Veikoba, Nasinu, where they hope to build a church that can accommodate 15,000 people. They have plans in place for when construction will commence and are organizing events to raise the necessary funds.
“We realized that hosting a rugby 7s tournament would be an effective way to achieve our fundraising goals. We’ve been working on this tournament for the past two months to reach a larger audience across the country,” Galivia noted.
The tournament will feature 24 teams in both the men’s division and the under-21 category, with plans to expand to a total of 32 to 48 teams in the men’s category. The senior men’s cup will offer a significant prize of $10,000 for the winner, with the runner-up receiving $5,000. In the U21 category, the winning team will take home $2,500, while the runner-up will receive $1,000.
Scheduled for August 30-31 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, ticket prices are set at $7 for adults and $3 for children on the first day, and $10 for adults and $5 for children on the second day.