For 12 straight years, the CJ Patel Group has stood firmly behind Fiji’s premier provincial rugby competition — a commitment it says is rooted in one simple belief: the future of Fiji rugby begins at the grassroots.
As the 2026 Skipper Cup and Royal Tea Ranadi competitions were officially launched today, the company renewed its partnership with the Fiji Rugby Union, continuing a journey that began in 2014 when Skipper Tuna first came on board as title sponsor.
In a game where village grounds and provincial rivalries have long shaped the country’s finest players, Fiji Dairy Limited supply chain manager Reshma Narayan said the sponsorship had always been about investing in the people behind the sport.
“When Skipper Tuna became the title sponsor of the Skipper Cup in 2014, we made a bold decision. We were not simply sponsoring a competition, we were investing in the future of Fiji’s rugby,” Narayan said.
That investment has proven significant.
Over the years, the Skipper Cup has remained the proving ground for many players who would later wear the white jersey of Fiji with pride on the international stage.
Narayan said provincial rugby remained the backbone of the sport.
“Every player who has proudly worn the Fiji jersey on the world stage began their journey here in grassroots and provincial rugby. The Skipper Cup is where those journeys begin,” she said.
The company widened its rugby footprint in 2022 when Royal Tea became sponsor of the women’s Ranadi competition, reinforcing its support across both men’s and women’s pathways.
For CJ Patel, the mission remains unchanged — to strengthen communities, create opportunities and ensure Fiji’s rugby pipeline continues to flow from the grassroots to the world stage.
