The first semi-final of the Suva Rugby Union Escott Shield will see Army Green compete against Fresh’et Navy this Saturday. In the other semi-final, the Eastern Saints, led by Seremaia Bai, will face off against SCB Police.
SRU secretary Nemani Tuifagalele announced the matches and mentioned that the specific venue is yet to be confirmed. Buckhurst and Bidesi Park have been reserved by Oceania, but the Laucala grounds are currently unavailable.
“We’ve secured the USP grounds but are exploring options for the best locations to host the semi-finals,” Tuifagalele stated. “It will likely be either at the USP ground or Suva Grammar grounds. We expect an exciting game this weekend and encourage supporters to come watch this highly anticipated semi-final.”
Tuifagalele noted the competitiveness of this season, emphasizing that making predictions is tricky as all four teams are strong contenders. SCB Police, a favorite, recently emerged victorious after a challenging match against Lomaiviti in the quarter-finals. With experienced players like veteran Number 8 James Brown and Paris Olympics silver medallist Terio Tamani, Police poses a significant threat as the defending champions.
“They are a formidable team and quite familiar with the Escott Shield, having won it multiple times before,” he remarked. Police narrowly triumphed over Fresh’et Navy in last year’s Escott Shield final with a score of 13-11.
He also praised Lomaiviti for their impressive performance during the quarter-finals. “The number of teams has remained constant over the past two years, but the intensity and quality of the competition have been improving every year. This reflects the investment in grassroots development, which is yielding positive results at the club level.”