Stakes are high for the Vodafone Fijiana XV women’s team as they prepare to face Hong Kong China in their first-round match of the WXV3 tournament in Dubai tomorrow.

Head coach Mosese Rauluni expresses confidence in the team’s preparation for the upcoming clash.

Despite disappointing performances against Scotland and Netherlands, the team has been training rigorously and is eager to regain confidence with a strong showing against China.

“Our test matches against Scotland and Netherlands were not good, but we have been training well, also getting into the heat into Dubai and we can’t wait to play Hong-Kong China in our first game and get some confidence up again,” said Rauluni.

“The spirits are high, and I know the girls are looking forward to playing this game against China.”

Rauluni acknowledges that there have been some injuries within the team, but he is pleased with the progress of the players in their recovery.

The integration of players from the High-Performance Unit (HPU) into the squad has also been a positive development, with the coach emphasizing the learning opportunity presented by test matches against formidable opponents.

“The HPU girls have been good they are still a lot to learn for them and it was a great opportunity for them to play teams like Scotland and Netherlands in the tests.

“The girls will also get better with a lot of tests play and it’s great that we have 11 tests this year, they get to play and strengthen our back lines, and coming from HPU to test rugby is a big step for them.”

Against Hong Kong China, the Fijiana will look to showcase their strengths in ball carrying and defensive play, aiming to assert dominance early in the match and maintain pressure on their opponents.

The Fijiana will kick off their campaign against Hong Kong at 2am tomorrow.