women
international women
When the match official Amber Stamp-Dunstan blew the final whistle in Spain-Fiji in the conflict, Fijiana made history by winning Lionesses for the first time.
The 38-32 victory came in dramatic fashion, as the Pacific Islanders trailed for most of the game before mounting a remarkable comeback in the final 13 minutes with tries from Rokovati Nabura, Salote Nailolo and Repeka Adi Tove.
Harlequins’ Manuqalo Komaitai, who came on when the team needed him most, was still delighted with what they did against a formidable Spanish side.
“It’s a good feeling, because with the victory we wrote the history of our country Spain for the first time! I am so proud of the team and the girls for working hard and fighting for this result.”
With the European side pushing Fiji into a corner, their only option was to push forward with everything they had, refusing to fear failure, according to No.8 Alfreda Fisher.
“Like Manuqalo said, I’m really proud of what we achieved in our first week here and how we fought until the final whistle.”
For a talented and commanding loose forward, her side’s progress over the past year has been remarkable, and their hard work is already starting to pay off.
“We have so much potential and I hope we can show that to everyone. We can still grow a lot more, but the team has been great in the last three or four months.”
Komaitai shares the same sentiment and believes the result against Spain marks the start of a promising journey for the team aiming to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029
“As Alfreda said, there is always room for improvement, but the team has grown so much in the past few months. I believe we can go even further, and the future is promising.”
Among the great passages of play produced by the Fiji women’s team, Alfreda Fisher can easily pick out her favourite, which came in the final seconds of the contest.
“If I had to choose a moment in the game, I’d say Repeka Tova’s try. It sealed the deal for us at a time when there was still some uncertainty about who would be the first!”
Next up is Hong Kong China, who will have their confidence boosted after their sensational win over Brazil, with added motivation to perform in front of a packed house on Saturday.
While the Hong Kong China set will present a fierce challenge, Fisher is unwavering in her belief that she and her teammates have done the work needed to tackle it.
“I expect a very physical and very intense match, ace Hong Kong China will play in front of their fans who will energize and motivate them. I’m looking forward to it!”
Although the Fijiana line-up is yet to be announced, Komaitai is eagerly looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“It will be a promising competition because they are playing at home and will come at us with a lot of energy.”
But it doesn’t have to be all winner takes all games and fierce training as the Fijiana team embraced Hong Kong, discovering what the city has to offer, with Harlequins freely sharing their journey so far.
“Our first week in Hong Kong China it was great! It was special to meet the girls after so long, as I currently live in the UK. We had a great stay, and that’s all thanks to the entire tournament and the hotel staff who took care of us.”
As their break draws to a close, Fisher echoes her teammate’s sentiments, excited for the upcoming two weeks.
“Everything is going well, we’re enjoying it here! We’ve adapted to the environment and the weather and it’s the perfect environment for WXV Global Series Challenger!”