AFTER a three-year hiatus, Naiyala High School (NHS) has made a triumphant return to the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby League (FSSRL) competition, marking the occasion with impressive wins from both its under-15 and under-17 teams.
The school’s comeback was highlighted by the under-17 team’s hard-fought 6-0 victory over Ratu Simione Matanitobua College, while the under-15 side also secured a 10-4 win against the same opponents earlier in the day.
The return to competitive play comes after financial challenges forced the school to opt out of the past two to three seasons.
According to U17 coach Siaki Baba, NHS is a small school with limited resources compared to larger schools in the competition, which contributed to their absence.
However, recent academic successes, including a 100% pass rate in their year 13 students in last year’s external exams reinvigorated the school community and enabled Tailevu based school to field two teams this year.
Coach Baba emphasised that while the objective is to win, the experience and exposure for the boys is also paramount.
“Our goal is not just to compete, but to win and expose these boys to the expected level of competition. We are also aware that there are scouts around watching these young boys who are playing every weekend. If there are some scouts here, at least some of our boys can get scouted,” Baba explained
Despite the victories, Coach Baba acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in tackling and technical skills, which are crucial given the smaller stature of NHS players.
“The first half was tough, and we need to focus on improving our tackling and technical approach to be more competitive,” he stated.
The coach also called on the wider Naiyala community and old scholars to support the team, especially in providing financial assistance and food for the players during competitions.
“We need your support in terms of finance and food, especially for the boys’ lunches,” he appealed.
