JASPER Williams High School, the only all-girls school from the western division in Fiji, will be defending their title this year for the 2026 Weet-Bix Raluve competition.
Head coach Alena Laqai shared the team’s training had intensified in the weeks of preparation, despite the challenges they have encountered.
It began during the recent school break, with players balancing rugby commitments and academic responsibilities.
“The preparation is different this year. We had a good game last week, and right now we are focusing on improving our performance,” Laqai said.
“Since our girls are full time students, we need to understand them. We have one training session a day and they also do their own training,” she added.
According to Laqai, a large number of students had expressed interest in joining the rugby programme this year, highlighting the increasing popularity of the sport among young women.
However, the competition features only the under-16 and under-18 grades.
“This year, we’ve seen a lot of girls interested in playing rugby.”
“Since we are only allowed to fill one team for each grade, we’ll be looking at the discipline of the girls and those who are willing to maintain it through the season,” she said.
With difficult competition ahead, the team is focused on defending their crown this year.
Last year, the team defeated their rival Natabua High School in the final, and they hope to repeat that success this year.
