A GRAND-FINAL rematch awaits Rewa FC, while Navua FC could have extra firepower in reserve when the Flick Hygiene Pacific Community Cup 2026 gets underway at 4R Stadium, Govind Park, Ba, from November 25 to 29.
Rewa will arrive with the defending champions tag and the pressure that comes with it, but Rewa FC team director Amish Patel knows the road to another title will be anything but easy.
Drawn in Pool A alongside Labasa FC, Canada All-Stars, AUFFI All-Stars and NZFFI Auckland All-Stars, Rewa must navigate a demanding group before turning their title defence into another championship charge.
Patel described the pool as evenly balanced, while acknowledging that playing in Fiji brings added expectations.
“The pool is evenly drawn. As defending champions, there will be high pressure on us, and the tournament being hosted in Fiji adds to that,” Patel said.
However, familiar foes could make Rewa’s campaign even more intriguing, with Labasa, having met them in the Champion vs Champion series, Extra Premier League and BiC Fiji FACT competitions this year.
Even more enticing is the prospect of meeting NZFFI Auckland All-Stars again, with the two sides set to renew their rivalry after last year’s final ended in Rewa’s favour following a 7-6 penalty shootout.
“We played them in the final last year, beating them in the penalty shootout. It will be a rematch of last year’s Pacific Community Cup grand final,” Patel said.
While Rewa prepare for a possible repeat showdown, Navua are hoping to bring extra ammunition into Pool B.
Navua FC coach Rodicks Singh is optimistic that his Bula FC players will be available to bolster Navua’s campaign before departing after the tournament.
Navua will is drawn alongside Ba, USA All-Stars, AUFFI Australia All-Stars and NZFFI Manukau, setting up another challenging route through the pool stages.
“As far as I’m aware, all the Bula FC players will be available for the Pacific Cup, and they depart after the Pacific Cup, so that’s good news for us,” Singh said.
Singh also confirmed Thomas Dunne’s availability as Navua weighs its squad options ahead of the five-day contest.
The teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the final to decide the champions.
