The 2025 Flame Tree Waimanu Sevens Tournament is driven by grassroots development and the fight against drugs, organisers say.
This year’s event is a one-off competition featuring 28 men’s teams in the main division, 16 under-20 teams, and six women’s teams.
The tournament kicked off yesterday at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva and will run for two days, with over $40,000 in prize money up for grabs.
Previously, the Waimanu Sevens consisted of six mini competitions, but organisers have shifted to this single-event format for the future.
Assistant tournament director Laisiasa Kubu explained the significance of this year’s event:
“So, this is the first year, we dreamt of hosting a big tournament. This is our first. So, from today, we’re going to have a shield that will be given to the team that wins the main prize. That will mark the first one-off competition as we anticipate a bigger Waimanu rugby sevens tournament next year.” He explauined.
He adds that having the tournament at the HFC Bank Stadium underscores their objectives to give their youths and the grassroots team the greatest platform to perform.
The focus this year is on grassroots teams, aiming to discover new talent for national squads.
“If you see the teams that are playing now, most of them are village-based teams. We cut out the forces team and the well-known team participating in other big tournaments,” said Kubu.
The Waimanu Rugby Club, based in Naitasiri, has a proud history of producing top players who have gone on to represent Fiji in both rugby sevens and fifteens.
Notable names include Nasoni Roko, Ro Kini Kiliraki, Sailosi Naiteqe, Asaeli Naiteqe, and Saula Rabaka.
Organisers hope this tournament will unearth more talents to carry on Waimanu’s proud rugby legacy.
