TIME and improvement are core areas vital to the Fijian Drua and the ongoing growth of rugby in Fiji respectively, according to the club’s outgoing chief executive, Mark Evans.
Evans says competition for the sport and for the club has become tougher and it would mean a concerted effort is required at various levels to ensure the upward progression of the sport.
“My message not just for the players, but for the whole organisation (Fijian Drua) and the country is we are nowhere near where we could get to, or I think we will get to,” Evans told the media recently.
He added the competition’s growing toughness meant scooping the Super Rugby Pacific would become much harder.
“But we’re in a very tough competition and it will take two things; it will take a bit of time because we want to win it eventually – we want to win the thing (Super Rugby),” he said.
“It will take a bit of time because you’re up against some very established teams who have been going 30 years and with all of that history, and with all the stuff they’ve built up in terms of facilities, pathways, youth development and all that kind of stuff.”
In relaying how improvement for the game in Fiji could be brought about, he described how this would need to happen across the board.
“It will take some time but it will also take the whole rugby infrastructure in Fiji to keep improving,” he explained.
He added the Fijian Drua were part of the national rugby landscape in Fiji and how its support to the FIJI Water Flying Fijians gave way to strong competition and cohesion.
“It gives us a platform to play in a very strong competition and that helps us with cohesion.”
The Drua’s alignment as a selection ground for the Flying Fijians has aided in the national side reaching new heights on the international stage, breaking new ground at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and recently, their inclusion into the Nations Championship, which starts next year.
