Oceania Rugby Women’s Challenge: Dominant Vodafone Fijiana XV Start with Win Over Tonga
The Vodafone Fijiana XV kicked off their Oceania Rugby Women’s XV Challenge campaign in spectacular fashion, overpowering Tonga with a commanding 59-5 victory in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Lawaqa Park.
Fiji came out firing from the opening whistle, showcasing their attacking prowess with a relentless first-half performance. The home side raced to a 30-0 lead by halftime, with tries coming from a mix of experienced players and debutants.
The Fijiana XV continued their dominance after the break, adding more tries through cohesive team play and individual brilliance. Tonga managed to breach Fiji’s defense late in the game, with V. Hingano scoring their lone try, but it was little more than a consolation as Fiji ran in nine tries in total.
Fiji’s inside centre Josifini Neihamu was a standout, crossing the line for a hat-trick, while debuting fullback Litiana Vueti contributed with two conversions. Other try-scorers included lock Mereoni Nakesa, prop Loraini Senivutu, halfback Setaita Railumu, outside centre Ema Adivitaloga, front-rower Bulou Wainikiti Vasuturaga, back-rower Manuqalo Komaitai, and outside-back Salanieta Nabuli, highlighting the team’s depth and attacking variety.
Fiji’s head coach, Ioan Cunningham, expressed pride in his team’s performance, particularly under the challenging ground conditions at Lawaqa Park. He also praised the impact of the five debutants, who seamlessly integrated into the squad.
Captain Alfreda Fisher described the match as a special occasion, marking her second time leading the team on home soil. “This is definitely a memorable one for me,” she said, reflecting on the team’s strong start to the tournament.
Their next challenge will be to maintain this momentum as they progress through the competition.
Final Score:
Fiji 59 (Tries: Neihamu 3, Nakesa, Vueti, Senivatu, Railumu, Adivitaloga, Vasuturaga, Komaitai, Nabuli; Conversions: Vueti 2)
Tonga 5 (Try: Hingano)
The Vodafone Fijiana XV will now shift their focus on their next match against Samoa on June 14th at 4pm next week Saturday at the same venue.