The backbone of rugby in Fiji
NEXT weekend, provincial rugby in Fiji gets back under way in the shape of the Skipper Cup, ANZ Marama Championship, Vodafone Vanua Championship and the Royal Tea Ranadi Cup. That’s a total of 88 teams kicking off their 15s season up and down the country from Kadavu to Macuata and from Taveuni to Yasawa.
Provincial rugby truly is the backbone of Fiji Rugby, and in turn the FRU has an enormous workload to get these competitions administered to the highest standard.
Without these strong provincial tournaments, the Fiji national teams would never be able to reach competitive levels. Case in point being the advent of the ANZ Marama Championship, which formed the basis of the Fijiana Drua’s meteoric rise at the Super W Championships in Australia in 2022.
And at FRU’s provincial workshop last month, the Fijian Drua’s Nico Andrade spoke of the importance of aligning the Skipper Cup with the Drua’s own season as the two go hand in hand.
So, the 52 senior teams and the 36 Under 20 sides who take to the field next Saturday carry with them the backing of Fiji’s rugby fraternity in the anticipation of copious quantities of rip-roaring attacking action, fiercely defended try-lines and chest-pounding provincial pride.
Provincial rugby is not just the backbone of rugby in Fiji but the heart as well.
Yes, it is indeed the pathway to the national teams; but it holds so many additional benefits for the players, officials and supporters such as work ethic, empowerment, teamwork, health, camaraderie, and family/village/ tikina/provincial pride.
It gives young people focus and purpose, brings communities together and helps to reduce crime figures. The value of these important aspects of our game should not be underestimated.
“Ba rugby is all about community,” BRU secretary Gaby Kautoga explained. “We have tried hard to be inclusive at all levels. That has meant working with the outlying villages and those in the mountains to bring everyone together. This is where lifelong friendships and relations are formed.”
“We have addressed barriers such as transport costs and accommodation for those travelling to training from afar. It has been a collective effort with supporters coming forward to help us with offers of housing assistance and donations of water and fruit at training sessions.”
“And we are liaising with the Ba communities in Suva, Nausori and Navua for our away games in the Skipper Cup, as well as those in Kadavu for the Ranadi Cup.”
“We are immensely grateful for all the help provided, even small donations. It is very humbling when people open their hearts and recognise the needs of the Ba players,” Talatala Gaby confessed.
Provincial unions also need to have solid club competitions as their own foundation stones. Players who are not quite at the level of Flying Fijians or the Drua can still develop along this pathway and win professional rugby contracts overseas.
Ba Rugby is currently undergoing a sea change after a generation of languishing as a minor union.
The base of last year’s Vanua Championship team came through the 24-team club rugby competition; and the three squads (Men, Women and Juniors) now preparing for next weekend’s D-Day were mostly selected from the 22-team Ba Tikina Championships in November.
With these raised levels of activity and publicity come higher expectations – as well as increased costs.
Fortunately, Ba Rugby has secured some great sponsors in Vinod Patel for the Men’s, Island Pharmacy for the Women’s and Fiji Pine for the Juniors.
“When the players run onto the field next Saturday,” Kautoga said, “they will know that the whole of the vanua is behind them... villages, tikina, businesses, elders, youths, families... everyone from Ba wishing their sons and daughters the very best of success.”