SYDNEY (Reuters) – Lautoka has become a challenging venue for Super Rugby Pacific teams in recent seasons, but there may be a silver lining for the New South Wales Waratahs when they face off against Fijian Drua on Saturday. Winger Mark Nawaqanitawase is set to play his 50th Super Rugby match for the Waratahs, and he anticipates strong support from his Fijian family at Churchill Park for the game.
Nawaqanitawase shared, “All the family is super excited and trying to get out there to be able to support us, which will be cool. I think the whole village is trying to get out there. Just hard trying to find some tickets because they’ve already sold out the whole thing. So yeah, that’s going to be pretty special.”
Over the past few seasons, the Drua have proven to be nearly invincible in matches played in Fiji, with teams like the Canterbury Crusaders and Wellington Hurricanes falling to the island heat. Nawaqanitawase, whose father is from Fiji, played for Australia A against Fiji at Churchill Park two years ago and noted the intense atmosphere that fuels the home team.
He shared, “They obviously love the game over there, it’s the number one sport. So every time Drua team run out, it’s packed and the fans go crazy. And you know, the players use that energy on the field. It’s going to be a big crowd out there on Saturday, we’ll have a tough day but I’m sure our boys are ready for it.”
After filling in at fullback in place of the injured Max Jorgensen in the loss to the Auckland Blues last week, Nawaqanitawase will be moving back to his familiar position on the wing. The Waratahs have had a challenging start to the season with three defeats in four matches, but Nawaqanitawase remains optimistic about their progress.
He mentioned, “We haven’t started the way we wanted but we’re definitely not far off where we want to be. We are playing some good footy and I hope this week we go out there and prove it.” In other weekend matchups, the Hurricanes will aim to maintain their perfect record against the Melbourne Rebels, while the Crusaders seek their first win of the season against the Auckland Blues.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
