AFTER a bruising opening-round defeat to defending champions the NSW Waratahs Women last weekend, the McDonald’s Fijian Drua Women are set to return to familiar territory this Saturday with one clear mission, defend their fortress at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
The Fiji Drua Women will host the Western Force Women in round two of the 2026 Super Rugby Women’s competition, and the encounter is shaping up as a crucial response game for the former champions.
Despite going down 42-29 to the Waratahs Women in Sydney, the Drua showed flashes of the attacking brilliance that has made them one of the most dangerous women’s rugby sides in the competition.
The side crossed for four tries and consistently threatened with ball in hand, but coach Mike Legge admitted his players were out muscled in key moments by the reigning champions.
Now the focus shifts home, and history suggests that could be the turning point in their campaign. Few teams enjoy home advantage quite like the Drua women.
Since entering Super Rugby Women in 2022, the side has built a reputation for dominating opponents on Fijian soil, feeding off passionate local crowds, humid conditions and the electric atmosphere that follows them across the country.
The Drua captured back-to-back Super Rugby Women’s titles in 2022 and 2023 and remain one of the competition’s most feared home teams.
Saturday’s clash in Lautoka will also mark the team’s first home appearance of the 2026 season, with fans expected to pack Churchill Park in support of a side eager to bounce back immediately. The Western Division has long been considered the heartbeat of Fiji rugby, and Lautoka supporters are expected to bring the noise as the Drua look to reignite their season in front of home fans.
For the Drua Women, Saturday is more than just another fixture, it is an opportunity to remind the competition why playing in Fiji remains one of the toughest assignments in Super Rugby Women’s rugby.
