A rugby 7s tournament is set to take place in Nadi next weekend to raise funds for constructing a church for the All Nations Christian Fellowship.
The Epic 7s tournament has already drawn interest from top local teams, with 24 participating sides confirmed. Notable teams such as Police Blue and White, Wardens, and Tabadamu have secured their slots, alongside Fiji Bitter Series winners Lavidi Brothers and Kingston Wadigi.
Church members have been actively seeking ways to fund their project and view rugby as an excellent means to achieve this goal. Tournament director Vilitati Galivia shared, “We have identified a piece of land in Veikoba, Nasinu, and aim to build a church with a capacity for 15,000 people. We have plans for when we want construction to commence, so we are launching various initiatives to raise the funds necessary.”
Galivia explained that organizing this rugby 7s tournament was a strategic decision to reach a broader audience across the country.
The tournament will feature 24 teams in the main men’s division and another 24 in the under-21 category, with hopes to expand the men’s teams to between 32 and 48 in total.
For the senior men’s category, the cup winner will be rewarded with $10,000, while the runner-up will receive $5,000. In the under-21 division, the winner will take home $2,500, and the runner-up will receive $1,000.
The tournament is scheduled for August 30-31 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi, with ticket prices 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.