Women’s division ready to fire up Skipper Cup

Skipper Cup Women’s teams are pumped and ready to kick-off the 2020 season with just 1 week to go and with the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand just one year away, every contest is sure to be electric as players put their best foot forwards towards Fijiana selection.

There has been a steep increase in women’s rugby participation over the last three years since the introduction and then expansion of the women’s domestic competitions. 

As passion towards the game continues to expand, so too has women’s rugby development improved across the country.

A pioneer of women’s rugby 32-year-old Josivini Gusuivalu made an incredible return to the field after 5 years in 2019. Gusuivalu played for the Fijiana from 2012-2014 before taking a break to focus on her family and career.

 Over the past 5 years Gusuivalu has been impressed by the huge shift in women’s rugby which has ignited her passion and enticed her to make a return to the field last year. 

Her comeback so impressive, Gusuivalu was included in the Fijiana team for the 2019 Asia Pacific Challenge.

“Looking back 8 years ago, women’s rugby in Fiji was unrecognizable, we were not at the level we’re at today.” she said.

“We felt there was lack of support from the Union and from the fans, even our own family and we weren’t prioritized as much as the men.”

“From then till now I’ve seen such a huge shift in women’s rugby, the Union has prioritized women’s rugby just as men’s rugby, now we’re getting the full support we need.”

Gusuivalu added that the move the union has made “for us now will be worth it in the future.”

“We’re now getting huge opportunities that we didn’t have before and now it’s just a matter of grabbing these opportunities and making the most of it.”

Gusuivalu is part of the recently launched Fiji Rugby Women’s High-Performance Academy and will be playing for Rewa in the 2020 Vanua Cup competition which kicks off on the 22nd of August.

She added “our(women’s) future in rugby is very bright” and she urges upcoming female players to make the most of the opportunities they’ve got now.

Skipper Cup kicks off on 25th July as Suva takes on Nadroga in the women’s division at Lawaqa park, Sigatoka, Naitasiri takes on Lautoka at Cakobau park, Yasawa takes on Nadi at Prince Charles park and Namosi takes on Tailevu at Thompson park, Navua