Nurturing grassroots
AS anticipated the 2021 Fiji Bitter Mokani 7s will have a new champion.
According to Mokani Rugby Club president, Seremaia Vueti, the defending champion Tabadamu have missed out on an opportunity to defend its title.
“We don’t have any top teams participating in this year’s tournament,” he said.
“Majority of the teams that we have are rugby teams that live around us, so this is where our grassroots rugby development comes in.
“This is where we will witness new talents and get to witness pure local rugby competition.
“We have two teams all the way from Taveuni so we are grateful that outer island teams can come and participate,” he said.
Vueti said they were grateful that they could finally host the tournament after the postponement of the event in December because of STC Yasa.
He said the money they receive from the tournament would help them do their phase two project and that was the construction of the multipurpose court.
“We are grateful to our sponsors for having faith in us knowing that we will host a successful tournament.
“With our past tournaments we had constructed our fitness gym which was then equipped by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
‘It took us four years to construct our gym and now with that completed it had laid the foundation to pursue our next project which is the court.
“When we have the money then we will get necessary planning on certain contractors to build the gym and then we will have to get certain requirements on what should be done before we construct our multipurpose court.
“It will take time but we will get there.”
The tournament will be played for two days at the Mokani ground in Tailevu.
Defending netball champion Lomaiviti Netters couldn’t make it to the tournament.
Today’s fixtures:
8am Fiji Bitter Mokani vs Naisausau 8:14am Raiwasa Resort Taveuni vs Naculava Young Boys
8:28am Naitodua Green vs Nakoroivau 8:42am Red River Ba Damu (Kuku) vs Cross of Victory (Taveuni)
8:56am Naqeledamu vs Koicolo Brothers 9:10am Nukubuco Brothers vs Natewa Young Boys
9:24am Naitodua Blue vs Waikete 9:38am Breakthrough Tailevu vs Vunimono 9:52am Valkyries Rugby vs Uprising 10:06am Dakuivuna 2 vs Namata 2
10:20am Naibili Young Boys vs Baravi Brothers
10:34am Waidrodro Brothers vs Naimasimasi 10:48am Waicoka vs Namako Babas 11:02am Dblock 7s vs Tovolea Knights 11:16am Duibana vs Fire Suva 11:26am Blue Diamond vs Bau 11:40am Dakuivuna 1 vs Lomavata Babas 11:54am Army vs Hope Rugby 12:08pm Fiji Bitter Mokani vs Dakuivuna 2 12:22pm Raiwasa Resort Taveuni vs Naibili Young Boys
12:36pm Naitodua Green vs Waidrodro Brothers
12:50pm Red River Ba Damu (Kuku) vs Waicoka
1:04pm Naqeledamu vs Dblock 7s 1:18pm Cautata vs Duibana
1:32pm Naitodua Blue vs Blue Diamond 1:46pm Breakthrough Tailevu vs Dakuivuna 1 2pm Valkyries Rugby vs Army
2:14pm Naisausau vs Namata 2 2:28pm Naculava Young Boys vs Baravi Brothers
2:42pm Nakoroivau vs Naimasimasi 2:56pm Cross of Victory (Taveuni) vs Namako Babas
3:10pm Koicolo Brothers vs Tovolea Knights 3:24pm Natewa Young Boys vs Fire Suva 3:38pm Waikete vs Bau 7s 3:52pm Vunimono vs Lomavata Babas 4:06pm Uprising vs Hope Rugby 4:20pm Naisausau vs Dakuivuna 2 4:34pm Naculava Young Boys vs Naibili Young Boys
4:48pm Nakoroivau vs Waidrodro Brothers 5:02pm Red River Ba Damu (Kuku) vs Namako Babas
5:16pm Dblock 7s vs Koicolo Brothers 5:30pm Duibana vs Natewa Young Boys 5:44pm Waikete vs Blue Diamond 5:58pm Breakthrough Tailevu vs Lomavata Babas