A rugby sevens tournament will take place in Nadi next weekend to raise funds for the construction of a church for the All Nations Christian Fellowship. The Epic 7s tournament has already gathered considerable attention, with 24 teams confirming their participation.
Among the teams registered are Police Blue and White, Wardens, and Tabadamu, alongside Fiji Bitter Series champions Lavidi Brothers and Kingston Wadigi. The church members are actively seeking ways to raise funds for this initiative and believe that rugby is an effective way to engage the community.
Tournament director Vilitati Galivia stated, “We have identified a piece of land in Veikoba, Nasinu, where we plan to build a church that can accommodate 15,000 people. We are working on timelines for the construction and are implementing various fundraising strategies.”
He added, “Organizing a rugby 7s tournament seemed like a great approach. We’ve been planning this tournament for the past two months to reach out to a wider audience across the country.”
The tournament will feature 24 teams in both the main men’s division and the under-21 category. Galivia mentioned that they are hoping to have between 32 to 48 teams total participating within the men’s category.
The senior men’s cup champions will receive a prize of $10,000, while the runners-up will take home $5,000. In the U21 category, the winning team will earn $2,500, with the runner-up getting $1,000.
The tournament is set for August 30-31 at Prince Charles Park in Nadi. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $3 for children on the first day, and $10 for adults and $5 for kids on the second day.