Fijian Drua train on new ground
SWIRE Shipping Fijian Drua players have finally stepped onto their new training pitch this week.
The team will no longer need to travel 40-50 minutes for training sessions, as they now have a training ground in their backyard.
“We went on the training field for the first time this week,” chief executive Mark Evans said,
The ground staff faced numerous challenges in levelling the field and promoting grass growth for the team’s use. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed by the dry season that struck the Western Division late last year.
“It was so dry through November to December, it just made it very, very difficult for the ground staff to get the growth they required for it to be a decent service,” Evans said.
“The biggest job to start with was the levelling base, then we were hoping to get on late November, the levelling went on schedule but then the grass wouldn’t grow without the rain and although we irrigated it from water tanks at the end of the day, you need the rain, and it just didn’t happen.”
This year brought a positive change with ample rainfall, and Evans expressed satisfaction with the drainage system, which is no longer a concern due to recent heavy rains in the Western Division.
“In the last three weeks, we’ve had a lot of rain the drainage is fantastic. There was no pooling, there was no surface water. They’ve done a really good job, It’s flat.
“We got a full-time maintenance program and full-time staff on it.”
The Drua base underwent several improvements, including the renovation of offices and meeting rooms, an upgraded medical room, and the doubling in size of the social area.
“We just want to improve things every year, we can’t do it all at once but every year.”