Sportsworld Fiji under-20 team is just hours away in taking the field, for the upcoming Oceania Under-20 Rugby Championship in King Charles Park, Nadi tomorrow.
Team manager Nemani Tuifagalele expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparation, noting the integration of local players with their overseas teammates.
“The preparation altogether has been great, the local boys really blending in very well with our overseas players,” said Tuifagalele.
Tuifagalele highlighted the presence of secondary school students in the team, many of whom also compete in the U18 school teams of their respective schools.
He praised the caliber of these schoolboys, emphasising their impressive skills and development both in training and on the field.
“We have also seven local secondary school students in the team, the caliber that we have from this schoolboy are great, and surprising to see that they can develop themselves and play a game thats required for them in the U20 level.
Reflecting on the team’s experience at the Super Rugby U20 tournament earlier this year.
“In the Super 20 tournament is was a very massive competition, i think we que ourselves on from the U18 level, I think from where they were from the schoolboys team and jump into Super Rugby, most of the boys have played in the NPC sign on with New Zealand strong competitions, and for them is a great achievement altogether at that particular level.
Tuifagalele acknowledged the strength of school-level Deans competition but pointed out that the demands at the next level require more than just skill.
“I’m not saying the Dean’s competition is bad, it sets the pace for pathway rugby. But when we left in March for the Super Rugby U20s, it was a different ball game altogether.”
He stressed that one of the major challenges the team faced was the physical calibre of overseas players.
“They’re just built differently. We haven’t had players who are 6 foot 8 or 6 foot 9 — our tallest are around 6’4″, 6’5″. The smallest player over there was probably the size of our biggest prop.”
Fiji U20 team is set to face Tonga at 4pm in their first match tomorrow, followed by matches against Canada on June 6 and Samoa on June 7.
