A BOLD statement was made by the Vodafone Fiji Bati, after they beat the Cook Islands 40-12 in their opening pool match of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in Newcastle, Australia yesterday.
The Bati dominated the opening 40 minutes, executing their plans effectively and putting their opponents under pressure with their attacking play.
One of the standout performers was World Cup debutant, 21-year-old Solomone Saukuru, who marked his first appearance for Fiji by scoring two tries.
Saukuru set the platform for the victory, making an immediate impact in his first outing in the Bati jersey.
Waqa Blake, Jacob Saifiti, Taane Milne, Kitione Kautoga and Caleb Navale were the try scorers in Fiji’s opening campaign.
Brandon Wakeham converted six tries out of the seven, as Fiji finished with a 28-point winning margin.
Despite their commanding first-half performance, the Bati found the second half more challenging as the match became scrappier.
Captain Apisai Koroisau said the team had been determined to start quickly and was pleased with the players’ efforts.
“We knew we were going to start fast today (yesterday), and we did that,” Koroisau said.
“A bit scrappy in the second half, but it was a great effort by the boys.”
Koroisau said the victory had given the team confidence, particularly after they executed their plans well in the first half.
“We knew what we wanted to do. We executed that first half, and I’m pretty proud of how the boys turned out,” he said.
Koroisau acknowledged the challenge posed by the Australians but said Fiji would give everything in their next outing.
“They’re at the top of the food chain for a reason, but we’ll be going out there and doing everything we feel we can,” he said.
With a convincing victory behind them and Saukuru making an immediate impact on debut, Fiji will look to carry that confidence into their next match.
The Bati now turn their attention to the Australian Kangaroos this Sunday.
