The Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s team take on China in the Challenge Trophy semi-finals of the 2018/19 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Se­ries opener at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, USA this morning.

The Sereima Leweniqila- captained side had a miserable start as they lost all their pool matches yesterday.

Playing in Pool C, the new-look Fiji team started brightly against Canada but paid the price for a number of missed tackles as tries from Caroline Crossley, captain Ghislaine Landry, Julia Greenshields and birthday girl Charity Williams gave the North Americans a 26-0 lead.

A consolation try by Naina Baleca on the hooter made it 26-7.

France were then unstoppable against Fiji, Shannon Izar and Anne-Cecile Cio­fani scored braces in a 45-12 win.

The Fijians scored through Baleca and Vasiti Solikoviti.

Ireland knew that an emphatic victory over Fiji would confirm their quarter-final place and they never looked back from the moment Aoife Doyle crossed in the first minute.

They scored nine tries in total with Ash­leigh Baxter grabbing a brace in the 59-7 victory with Litiana Lawedrau scoring for the Fijians.

– Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

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