“WE are just trying to put together a good combination and we are happy that the trophy will be here for another year,” said master Timoci Duve.
Dave was commenting regarding the Volau Trophy which has been resting at the Ba Provincial Freebird Institute since its inception in 2017.
“We have been defending the trophy for the last three years,” the Yasawa man said.
When quizzed on the school’s goals for rugby league this year the physical education schoolteacher stated that the school’s rugby league team was eyeing the “big fish”.
“The focus is on the Colin Love trophy which is the bigger picture but we prefer to keep a low profile.”
“Three new schools have joined the Lautoka/Nadi/Nadroga/Yasawa zone,” said
Western Secondary Schools Rugby League vice-president Epeli Kalou.
The new schools are Yasawa High School, Nasikawa Vision College of Namatakula and Sigatoka Valley High School.
A total of 14 teams comprising nine schools participate in the Lautoka/Nadi/Nadroga/Yasawa sub zone under the Western Secondary School’s Rugby League banner.
Ra/Ba/Tavua is the other zone and they play for the Naisoro Trophy on a weekly basis until the conclusion of school’s rugby league’s pool matches, similar to the Volau Trophy.
Ba Provincial Free Bird Institute has been the champions of rugby league in the Lautoka/Nadi/ Nadroga/Yasawa zone in the U15, 17, and 19 grades.
“It has really improved and the number of schools who have shown interest in the sport of rugby league is increasing,” said Kalou.
Fiji Bati powerhouses Viliame Kikau and Tui Kamikamica are products of secondary schools rugby league and they have followed the pathway to carve a name for themselves in the sport.
Wallaby and former Fiji Bati Ratu Marika Koroibete also came through the system.
Meanwhile the Ba Provincial Free Bird Institute’s rugby league teams in the U15, U17 and U19 grades have booked their spots for the national quarter finals.
All secondary school’s rugby league teams appearing in the semi-finals in each respective grade will feature at the national finals.
The games at Garvey Park on Saturday.
