The Fijian Drua will be based in Australia for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Fiji Rugby Union says they have secured several sponsors and more announcements will be made in the coming days and weeks.
The FRU says they are looking at the areas they can be based at whilst in Australia, however nothing has been confirmed as yet.
Fiji Rugby’s General Manager High Performance, Simon Raiwalui says they have already secured some talented players for the Drua and further announcements will be done in due course.
Raiwalui says they are not competing with high-end European salaries.
FRU CEO, John O’Connor says they have identified close to 38 players and are in the process of giving them contracts.
FRU Chairman, Conway Beg has also announced that the current General Manager Commercial of FRU, Brian Thorburn has been seconded to the Fijian Drua to act as Interim CEO until 2022.
Beg says Brian has been the driving force behind the bid for the Fijian Drua, and is ideally placed to oversee the significant remaining activity leading into the first games in Australia in 2022.
Following his secondment, Brian will return to Fiji Rugby Union in early 2022 to lead commercial preparations for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in October and the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2023.
Thorburn confirms that announcements relating to players, coaching staff and other exciting developments will be rolled out in the coming days.
Fiji Rugby also expressed its gratitude to the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports Program through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for providing the financial support necessary for the club’s inclusion in Super Rugby Pacific.
O’Connor says quite simply, the Fijian Drua’s participation in Super Rugby Pacific would not have been possible without DFAT and PacificAus Sports Program’s support.
He says they also acknowledge and are grateful to the Fijian Government, led by the Prime Minister and Fiji Rugby President, Voreqe Bainimarama, for their support of this major development and ongoing assistance to Fiji Rugby.
Super Rugby Pacific will kick off on 18th February next year.
