Bulikula Brace For Tough Match
The Fijian Bulikula rugby league side will play its ‘toughest game in their history’ against the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII women at the ANZ Stadium in Suva today. The Bulikula will be playing at home for the first time after winning their maiden international debut 28-0 against the Papua New Guinea Orchids in June.
Fullback Josephine Maejiirs wants to see that form continue against the highly-rated Australians.
The 42-year-old Maejiirs is one of nine overseas-based players in the squad and knows exactly what the Aussies will bring to the table.
The mother-of-four plays for the North City Bears in Sydney and will face her club teammate Kirra Dibb, who has been named at five-eighth.
“We’re expecting a very tough challenge,” she said.
“There are a few of us overseas-based players who play with some of the players in the Australian squad and they’re a very talented side.”
Maejiirs has maternal links to Naila, Bau, Tailevu, while her father hails from Naroi, Moala, Lau.
She started playing rugby league at the age of 35.
The Bulikula’s historic win against PNG was seen as a positive sign for the future, highlighting the potential of women in rugby league.
The one drawback is the lack of competitive matches for the Bulikula, with this team unlikely to play anymore games until June 2020.
The men, in contrast, will compete at the Rugby League World 9s later this month then again in the 2019 Oceania Cup in November.
Bulikula coach Adrian Vowles hopes to see his team play more matches in future.
“It’s really important for the girls wanting to play rugby league to have a pathway there for them to play internationally,” Vowles said.
“So it’s important that they play well [against Australia] because there are opportunities and we want to create that pathway for young girls in Fiji.”
Vowles is a former Scotland International who played in the NRL for several years, earning a State of Origin selection in 1994.
The 48-year-old was at the helm when Fiji beat PNG, and is expecting an even tougher match against the Australians. “Everyone is keen to back up our last game and just try and improve. We want to put in a good performance here for the first time playing in Fiji,” Vowles said.
“I’ve said to our girls that we’ve got to expect the toughest game we have ever played but these girls are pretty driven to better themselves. It’s not going to be a 28-0 scoreline. It’s going be a tough game and I think defensively, we have to be very good.”