NADROGA senior men’s rugby forward Manueli Ratuniyarawa is the latest signing of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua.
He joins the Super Rugby club ahead of the 2027 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season and the move is the most significant step in his rugby career.
Ratuniyarawa hails from the village of Korotogo, Baravi in Nadroga with maternal links to the island of Malake in Ra.
Speaking of his signing, he expressed how profound the opportunity was for him to join the Drua.
“I never dreamed that one day I would be here and have the opportunity to wear the Drua jersey,” the former Queen Victoria School student said.
“It is truly an honour,” he added, while thanking the coaches and management for their belief in him.
His signing with the Drua is expected to be a boost to the side’s forward pack and his versatility in that area from being lock and playing across the loose forwards ticked the boxes for the Drua to give him the nod.
Ratuniyarawa first made waves as part of Nadroga and played for the Flying Fijians for the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup in Europe where he debuted for Fiji against Georgia in Scotland.
Fiji won that match 38-24, and it led to his selection for the World Barbarians XV later that year.
Before 15s, he featured in the Fiji 7s men’s programme in 2018 and 2019 with a stint in its tour of Korea in 2023.
Meanwhile, he is also the second Flying Fijian from Korotogo, Nadroga; the first being former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pita Kewa Nacuva.
Nacuva played as full-back and was captain during the Flying Fijians’ Test against the New Zealand All Blacks in 1980.
