South Taveuni Sec. School proud after debut at Extra Fiji Secondary Schools Championship
South Taveuni Secondary School head coach Ritik Sami says he is proud of his team’s performance in their first appearance at the Extra Fiji Secondary Schools Championship, even though they did not advance beyond the pool stages. The side opened with two losses but finished on a high by beating Natabua High School 1-0 at Xavier College in Ba this morning.
Sami thanked his players for standing tall against more experienced and established teams and acknowledged the valuable experience gained from the debut. “Unfortunately, we’re out of the tournament, but not bad because this is our first time, and the boys had such an experience and we are satisfied with the result. We’re also proud of the boys because we didn’t lose by big margins in any of our games, and we would like to go back, build up for next year and come back stronger,” he said.
For the team, the main goal was exposure, something Sami believes they have successfully achieved. As they prepare to return home, he says the focus will be on addressing weaknesses and coming back stronger for next year’s tournament.
Editor’s note and broader context:
This season has highlighted the depth of Fiji’s secondary-school sports culture beyond football, with rugby’s Vodafone Super Deans competition producing a string of notable milestones. For example, Ratu Kadavulevu School won the under-14 title, Lami High School captured the under-19 crown, and Lelean Memorial School reached the under-16 final, underscoring that zones and rankings don’t always predict national outcomes. Niusawa Methodist High School from Taveuni reached the under-16 final for the first time, and Adi Cakobau School made their first appearance in the Weet-Bix Raluve Trophy U18 final. These stories reflect a growing trend ofNorthern and smaller schools making their mark, which bodes well for broader development across Fiji’s secondary-school sports programs.
Summary: South Taveuni Secondary School’s debut at the Extra Fiji Secondary Schools Championship ended with a win and a positive takeaway—an experience they plan to build on to emerge stronger in next year’s competition.
Outlook: The team will return home focused on strengthening identified weaknesses and continuing development to challenge more established programs in the next edition. This result adds to a growing narrative of opportunity and growth for Fiji’s emerging sports programs, offering hope for even stronger showings from debutant schools in the future.
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