Fiji Sun

Let’s Get Behind Fiji Airways Drua For NRC

- LEONE CABENATABU­A

They are the future of Fijian Rugby.

They need to get all the support they can gather as they prepare for this year's Australian National Rugby Championsh­ip (NRC).

After their first year of participat­ion at the NRC in 2017, the

Fiji Airways Fijian

Drua side have actually made rugby heavyweigh­ts, not only in Australia but around the world, sit up and take notice of the abundance of untapped talents that we have.

How Drua wing

Eroni Sau after the

NRC continued that momentum to the

2017/18 HSBC World

Sevens Series where he was named the Sevens Rookie Player of the Year.

Secondly, the selection of Kalivati Tawake, Mosese Ducivaki, Joeli Veitayaki,

Frank Lomani, Alivereti Veitokani, Ratunaisa Navuma and Mosese

Voka to play for the

Fiji Airways Flying

Fijians during the 2017 end of the year tour to

Europe.

Not only that, the call for tighthead prop Kalivati Tawake to join the New South Wales

Waratahs camp this year, which then progressed to a couple of

Super Rugby matches.

The rush made by the

Melbourne Rebels officials to fly over Drua halfback Lomani to cover for the injured Will Genia during the recent Super Rugby competitio­n.

Now it's the French Top 14 club Perpignan which has signed up Sau while Drua first five-eighth Peceli Nacebe has sealed the deal with Bordeaux Begles. Young Swire Shipping Fijian lock Tevita Ratuva played for Brisbane City in the NRC last year.

Living up to expectatio­ns

Made up of local-based players the Fijian Drua have actually lived up to expectatio­ns.

This year head coach Senirusi Seruvakula has roped in young talented players who have starred for their provincial unions during the Skipper Cup Premiershi­p, Vodafone Vanua Challenge, Bainimaram­a Shield Challenge and the HFC Bank Farebrothe­r Challenge. They include Mesulame Dolokoto, Vugakoto Veremalua, Luke Tagi, Tevita Naqali, John Dyer, Jone Navori, Jone Manu, Jona Sawailau, Poasa Waqanibau and Enele Malele have a promising future ahead of them.

Playing in the NRC gives them the opportunit­y to compete with Super Rugby players like Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi, Karmichael Hunt, James Slipper and the list goes on.

The exposure and the experience our young Drua players are going to gain from these NRC matches is surely going to lift them to a higher platform. This is what the future of Fijian Rugby needs and the good news is that we are on that right path.

The onus is now on the rugby fans if they could come out in big numbers and support our Fijian Drua side in all their home games in this year's NRC competitio­n.

This is the kind of support our future rugby stars need and as die-hard fans we must give it to them.

The exposure and the experience our young Drua players are going to gain from these NRC matches is surely going to lift them to a higher platform.

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