Fijiana Finish Fourth at New York 7s After Strong Pool Campaign

The Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s side produced moments of exciting rugby at the New York 7s, finishing fourth overall after a strong pool-stage showing before falling in the knockout rounds.

Fijiana opened their campaign with a thrilling 22–17 win over France, setting the tone with attacking flair and resilience. They followed that with a challenging second pool match, going down 31–10 to New Zealand, before bouncing back strongly in their final pool fixture to defeat Great Britain 36–12.

With two wins from three pool matches, Fijiana advanced to the semi-finals where they faced Australia. Despite a determined performance, the Fijian women were edged 22–14 by the Australians.

In the third-place playoff, Fijiana met USA but were unable to secure the bronze medal, falling 26–17 in a competitive encounter to finish the tournament in fourth place.

Head coach Richard Walker said the tournament showed the team’s ability to trouble top sides when they play their natural game.

“Strengths of the team is we are playing some good, exciting rugby at times and when we do that, we scare teams,” Walker said.

“We are also connecting well as a group off the field and getting better on the field for that purpose.”

Walker acknowledged that consistency remains a key area the team will focus on when they return home.

“Work-ons are being consistent when we are playing good rugby. We have a few goals to get back to Fiji and work on and that’s one-on-one tackling, ruck area decision making, defensive shape and kick-off receive.”

Beyond their on-field performances, Walker highlighted the unique bond within the squad, noting the diverse backgrounds of the players and the positive team culture that continues to grow.