Rohit Deo
The Kaiviti Silktails before they departed for Australia. Picture: SUPPLIED.
The Kaiviti Silktails will depart Fiji for Australia today to tackle the 2021 Ron Massey Cup.
The Silktails will be based in Sydney for the entire 2021 season, playing their home fixtures at Mascot Oval.
Silktails head coach and former Fiji Bati captain Wes Naqaima has the team primed and ready to go.
“After the disappointment of having the 2020 Ron Massey Cup cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic after just one match, the team are grateful for the opportunity to be based in Sydney in order to participate in the 2021 comp,” he said in a statement.
Kaiviti Silktails ready to take on the best in the Ron Massey Cup
Kaiviti Silktails ready to take on the best in the Ron Massey Cup
[Image: Silktails] The Kaiviti Silktails have left for Australia to take part in the upcoming Ron Massey Cup competition.
Coach and former Fiji Bati captain Wes Naqaima says the team are grateful to be based in Sydney to participate in the 2021 competition after a disappointing outing last year where they played only one match before the competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chairman of the Kaiviti Silktails and rugby league legend, Petero Civoniceva says they could not have done this without the support from the New South Wales Government, the PacificAus Sports program and the Australian High Commission.
18-year-old to stay away from parents for 8 months to chase his NRL dream
18-year-old to stay away from parents for 8 months to chase his NRL dream Tuesday 26/01/2021
18-year-old Filimoni Paul will spend 8 months in Australia playing for Kaiviti Silktails in the Ron Massey Cup
He has never lived without his parents for more than a week but 18-year-old Filimoni Paul will spend 8 months in Australia playing for Kaiviti Silktails in the Ron Massey Cup to chase his dream to play in the NRL.
Paul who is from Naroro Village in Sigatoka started playing rugby league last year and intends to follow in the footsteps of Fiji Bati star, Viliame Kikau.
21 January, 2021, 8:10 pm
The Vodafone Fiji Bati team with their new outfi t before a match in 2020. Picture: SUPPLIED
Local rugby league players have a chance to change the course of selecting the Fiji Bati team to this year’s Rugby League World Cup in England.
Coach Jo Rabele has proposed to the Fiji National Rugby League that he wants to see at least six local-based players making the national side to the pinnacle of rugby league tournament this year.
The 16-team RLWC will be in England from October 23 to November 27.
“We have another eight months to prepare our team,” FNRL acting chief executive officer Don Natabe said.
Waisale Koroiwasa
Tuva’s Ilaisa Droasese release a overhead pass against Honk Kong.Picture ELIKI NUKUTABU/FILE
Five Fijians in a Super Rugby side will be a statement and they are likely to light up the competition. Reds head coach Brad Thorn named Ilaisa Droasese, Serupepeli Uru, Moses Sorovi, fomer Fiji football rep Filipo Daugunu and former Fiji Bati and Storm flyer Suliasi Vunivalu in his 2021 squad.
Droasese, who is from Togovere Village, Nadroga and a former Tuva first five-eighth, helped his side in the Coral Coast 7s tournament in the youth category in 2018.
Droasese inked a full-time deal with the Queensland Reds this season after an impressive National Rugby Championship outing. Droasese was part of the Fiji team to the World Rugby U20 Championship 2019.