Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley says the Fijian Drua continue to receive equal support as all teams in the competition, with added considerations to help them remain competitive both on and off the field.
Mesley acknowledged the unique challenges faced by the Drua, particularly with travel demands, but assured that these were considered during competition planning.
“Yeah, I mean, I think the Drua, we treat the Drua the same as we treat all 11 teams. There are some special considerations that we need to do as we think about the Drua in particular,” Mesley said.
“The travel, obviously the Drua have to travel a lot and like the Western Force. So, when we’re building the Drua, we’re looking at those travel schedules, we’re trying to make sure we give every team the best chance to compete and to win and we’ll continue to do that as we get into planning for the 2027 season.
“We’ll work with the Drua as well around how we manage heat, how we schedule games, what time kick-off should be and where will they be played, with the Drua having three venues to select from.”
Mesley also outlined a bold long-term vision for the competition, with the Pacific region playing a central role in its growth.
“No doubt about it, we want to be the best rugby competition in the world.
“We think on the field, we probably are the best rugby competition in the world,” he said.
“We know we’ve got work to do around the game to promote it, to get it more visible to more people and to bring more fans into the great product we have.”
He emphasised the importance of the Drua in expanding the reach and appeal of Super Rugby across the region, particularly in a rugby-passionate nation like Fiji.
“So, our vision’s clear, the Drua play a really essential part in that. We know how big rugby is in Fiji, we want to take it to the whole region and get the whole of Australia loving Super Rugby, the whole of New Zealand loving Super Rugby Pacific and make sure the Drua here in Fiji remain the number one team in town.”
