Nadrala, Nadroga forward Isaia Rugu will make his national debut at the Valladolid 7s in Spain this weekend.
Fiji Airways Fiji men’s 7s head coach Osea Kolinisau confirmed this in a press conference yesterday.
Rugu will now have the coveted opportunity to run out in the white jumper after previous stints in the national 7s extended squad.
It marks another step forward for Rugu, who was dropped from the national under-20 team in 2019 and returned home to Nadroga to play at provincial level before joining the Malolo rugby team, which had been promoted to the Skipper Cup from the Vodafone Vanua Championship in 2024.
Joining the team anchored by the solid belief of the vanua o Lawa powered him and his teammates to achieve a historic win of the Skipper Cup last year.
Being a key player in cementing Malolo’s ascension to the main provincial competition and earning a hard-fought 41-26 win over Naitasiri in front of a packed HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, he featured in local rugby scenes before joining the Yaro Chiefs.
Yaro went on to win the 2026 McDonalds Coral Coast Fiji 7s, being crowned champions and scooping $50,000 in prize money.
He was also part of the Fiji 7s development squad that travelled to South Korea last year.
In an interview with Times Sports when he vied for a spot on the national side for the Singapore 7s this year, he expressed how earning a place on the team was tough but working hard for it mattered most above all else.
“It has been a long journey, I would like to thank God for taking me this far and giving me the strength,” Rugu mentioned then.
“Back in the squad, training has been really tough. It’s all about working hard for your goal and that is what I’m doing; to work hard and earn a spot in the team.”
And in making his debut this weekend, those words have become the stepping stones to his continued growth in the game.
