NASINU has ampilified its preparation for a tough challenge in the upcoming Vodafone Vanua Championship that begins this Saturday.
The team is banking on its young players to make an impact for their first elimination match and the season.
Team manager Anare Sovanivalu said preparations have not been easy with the side facing difficulties during training, but believes the players are continuing to improve ahead of the competition.
“We are having some ups and downs, but we’re trying our best to improve our performance,” Sovanivalu said.
Nasinu will head into the competition as underdogs hoping to build on previous performances and make a strong statement in the elimination round.
One of the major challenges is player selection, particularly with many talented players from the Nasinu and Nausori corridor representing other rugby clubs.
“Most of the players from the Nasinu area play for other unions, so that is one of the challenges, for us to develop our own players and allow them to showcase their talents,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Nasinu has assembled an extended squad of around 54 players, with selectors finalising the team for this Saturday’s clash.
The side consists of many young players, with only a few experienced members to guide the team through the championship.
“The team consists mostly of young players. We’ve got a few older boys to help develop the young ones,” he said.
The Vanua Championship is expected to be highly competitive this year, especially with two teams being promoted to the Skipper Cup competition next season. For Nasinu, progressing through elimination remains a top priority.
However, he acknowledged the strong preparation from rival teams and stressed Nasinu is focused on enhancing on its own performance.
“We respect other teams because they’ve prepared well too, but our aim is to improve from our team’s performance over the years.
Nasinu is urging supporters to turn out in numbers and back the team when they face Serua on Saturday at 3pm at the Suva Grammar School grounds.
