Fiji’s Fijiana XV went down 29-15 to Scotland in their Women’s Rugby World Cup pool match in England yesterday, but the side remains optimistic as they prepare for their next challenge against Wales.
Vice-captain Bitila Tawake praised her teammates’ fighting spirit despite the result, saying the squad showed determination until the final whistle.
“I am just really proud of the girls and the effort they put in,” Tawake said. “We wanted to go in with a mindset of being hungry the whole tournament. Despite whatever we went through today, we turned up to the last minute,” she said.
She added that lessons from the Scotland clash would be carried into next week’s crucial encounter.
“Yes, we’ll take the learnings from this week to next week. I want to thank everyone for coming out today and our families back home.”
Utility back Kolora Lomani echoed Tawake’s sentiments, noting the difficulty of adapting to the conditions.
“We knew Scotland were a physical team. Obviously it wasn’t a result we wanted, but really proud of the girls and how they played to the last minute,” Lomani said.
She pointed to Fiji’s trademark speed as a weapon that will be sharpened against Wales.
“Yeah, definitely, we know where our strength is and it’s out wide. We tried to play that against Scotland but had to adapt to the weather. I’m proud of how the girls pulled through.”
Lomani also highlighted the overwhelming support from Fijians in the stands.
“It’s always amazing to have that support behind us. I couldn’t even hear some things happening on the field, that’s how loud it was. The Fiji community is always there for us.”
Fijiana meet Wales next, determined to build on yesterday’s lessons and bounce back stronger.