Fijian Drua's debut Super Rugby season has been a baptism of fire, but spirits are high ahead of Saturday's emotional homecoming in Suva against the Highlanders.
Drua centre Kalaveti Ravouvou in action against the Blues Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz
One of two Pasifika teams to join the competition this year, the Mick Byrne-coached Drua were camped on the east coast of Australia for the first part of the season to avoid logistical challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Barring a joyous 31-26 win over the Melbourne Rebels in round three, they have struggled against experienced Australian and New Zealand opponents.
Their 35-18 loss to the Blues in Melbourne over the weekend was their eighth defeat from nine games, leaving them second from bottom of the competition, just ahead of the other expansion side Moana Pasifika.
However, for a team built from scratch with only a few seasoned professionals, the Drua have far from embarrassed themselves, and the Fijian capital is buzzing ahead of Saturday's clash at the National Stadium, the team's first on home soil.
"It's been awesome, just all of the support the Fijian people have been showing," Drua lock Isoa Nasilasila told Reuters on Wednesday.
"It's a pretty crazy experience to be honest, people coming up for photos and autographs all the time. We're expecting all the tickets to be sold out."
Rugby-mad Fiji has long exported its brightest talents, while missing out on the professional pathways that are available in richer, foreign markets.
The Drua, who played in Australia's defunct lower-tier National Rugby Championship and won the title in 2018, now offer an incentive for local players to develop their game much closer to home.
The Drua's inclusion in Super Rugby has also hitched a ride on the wave of support generated by Fiji's world class sevens programmes and Olympic success.
The Fijian men defended their Olympic sevens gold in Tokyo last year and the women took bronze.
Fans will get a sense of Drua's development against the Highlanders, who also have a 1-8 record and are the worst performing among New Zealand's five established teams.
-Reuters