Vuna Brothers announced their arrival in the 15-a-side game with an emphatic 34-7 victory over Draunivau Brothers in the Suva Rugby Union’s Koroturaga competition at Buckhurst Ground yesterday, a result that underlines the Tailevu club’s rapid progress in its second year in the tournament. The win — delivered with authority in the opening half before some wobble later on — keeps Vuna Brothers on course for the club’s stated objective of climbing into the higher-tier Escott competition next season.
Head coach Ilaitia Nasaukibua, whose side hails from the village of Dakuivuna in Wainibuka, Tailevu, said the result validated the decision to expand the club’s focus beyond its established sevens reputation into 15s. “This is our second year in the competition; last year we finished eighth and missed out on the finals,” Nasaukibua said after the match. “This year, our aim is to finish among the top teams in the Koroturaga and secure a place in the Escott competition next year.”
While praising the collective effort, Nasaukibua was candid about areas that need urgent attention if Vuna Brothers are to maintain their upward trajectory. He singled out set-piece execution and late defensive lapses as problems that cost the team momentum in the second half. “Our set-piece work needs significant improvement before the next game. Several of our set-piece moves were poorly executed in the second half, and our defence faltered towards the end,” he said, adding that these are priorities for training over the coming week.
The club’s involvement in the Suva-based competition is part of a deliberate strategy to create pathways for youth in Dakuivuna and surrounding areas to progress in the 15s code, Nasaukibua explained. The coach remains optimistic that consistent performances will open doors for individual players at provincial and potentially international levels, even as he cautioned against complacency following a big scoreline.
Vuna Brothers’ push into the Koroturaga competition represents an important shift for a team traditionally known for sevens rugby. Transitioning to the 15s format demands different structures and depth, and yesterday’s result — while encouraging — also exposed execution gaps that rivals can exploit. The club’s ambition to reach the Escott competition next year sets a clear benchmark for improvement across scrummaging, lineouts and defensive organisation.
With the competition still in its early rounds, Vuna Brothers will have the chance to consolidate progress when they return to action next weekend. For now, the Buckhurst Ground win serves as a statement of intent: a Tailevu village side determined to translate sevens pedigree into sustained success in Fiji’s 15s club circuit, provided they tighten up the fundamentals Nasaukibua has identified.
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