The Fijiana Drua defeated reigning champions Waratahs 32-26 in the final to notch the biggest upset in the Super W competition since its inception, but for the Fijiana XVs side the victory means much more than that.
Team skipper Bitila Tawake said the win is vital to the success and future of women’s rugby in Fiji.
Speaking to Rugby Australia, Tawake recounted the sacrifices and challenges the girls endured just to play.
Sharing her own experience, Tawake related how it was “really hard” to convince her dad to play rugby, and it also meant putting a hold on school to pursue the sport.
“This win is something we can take back home, and all the girls will want to play Rugby now,” Tawake told Rugby Australia. “The men will now look up to us and not down on us, so this is a huge change for Fiji.”
The Fijiana Drua scored six tries, three of which by player of the match Vitalina Naikore and one apiece by Kolora Lomani, Roela Radiniyavuni and Timaima Ravisa.
Waratahs scored four, including a hattrick of their own by Natalie Delamare with the fourth added by Eva Karpani.
Via one of their social media platforms, the Tahs acknowledged the effort they put into the campaign this year stating that they gave everything and sacrificed much from October to the final seconds of the encounter, but in the end “as hard as it is to give up the trophy, it’s in the hands of true champions for the time being.”
The win by the Fijiana Drua also sealed a perfect Super W undefeated run, having won all their round-robin matches since game 1 including the first match-up against the Tahs in round five.
Fijiana Drua
Rd 1: 66-5 Rebels
Rd 2: 27-12 Reds
Rd 3: 45-17 Force
Rd 4: Bye
Rd 5: 29-10 Waratahs
Rd 6: 17-7 Brumbies
The Fijiana Drua take a well-deserved break before they take on the Wallaroos next Friday, 6 May at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
