The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua’s pre-season schedule will feature key matches against Chiefs and a Fijian provincial selection team as part of preparations for the 2026 campaign.
Head coach Glen Jackson also confirmed a small group from the Drua Academy will travel to Ovalau in late November as part of the club’s community and development program. They will be in Ovalau for three days from November 19-21.
“A small group from the academy team will be travelling to Ovalau in late November, it’s a shame we would love to get everyone go there like what we did for Kadavu but with some players with Flying Fijians is tough,” Jackson said.
The team will face the Chiefs in New Zealand before taking on a provincial selection side in the Sun Bell Challenge in Lautoka.
“We are excited for what we got pre-season obviously a big game against a provincial team which will be a Sun Bell Provincial challenge.
“It’s an important innovation, not just for us but for Fiji Rugby. We understand our goal is to make Flying Fijians and Fiji Rugby strong, so it gives us the opportunity to play the provincial teams,” he added.
“We also have a game against the Chiefs in New Zealand so that’s our preseason, it’s an important pre-season heading to our first match against Moana in Lautoka on February 14.
“That will be a great game, very excited about what will come out of that, we going to have a good head out and we will be playing in Lautoka,” Jackson added.
Playing a provincial team helps strengthen the Flying Fijians and our local competition,” he added.
The match against the provincial side will be held on February 6, a week before the Drua’s first-round clash against Moana Pasifika.
