‘Take the Fijians lightly at your peril’.
That's the message from former Waratahs coach and Drua consultant Chris Hickey who has seen the rise of the fabulous Fijians first hand.
The instant success of the Drua ‑ who have qualified for finals in their first two seasons ‑ naturally provokes a conversation about the potential for a Fijian Super Rugby team.
A Fairfax Media report on Tuesday revealed a bid from the Fijian Rugby Union to feature in the competition had been placed but financial requirements may stop the move before it even gets off the ground.
The figure, understood to be somewhere in the vicinity of $14 million to $17 million, has almost certainly put a national union‑run franchise beyond the reach of Fiji and Samoa, the most realistic of candidates in the Pacific Islands.
Whether they can pull the necessary cash together to submit a successful bid remains to be seen but Hickey backed the Fijians to thrive at the next level if given the chance.
Hickey says Fiji definitely has the talent adding there is a lot more that goes into having a Super Rugby team more than talent.
He says Fiji is working on those areas and they are making a lot of strong advancements and securing some good sponsorship and by 2020 they would be in a position to compete.
Meanwhile, the Drua will play the Vikings in the semi-final of the NRC at 4pm Saturday at Churchill Park and you can catch the live commentary of the match on our sister station Viti FM on 92.2 FM.
[Source: NRC]
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