Fiji Bitter will be the official beer of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua.

This was after Fiji’s iconic beer brand Paradise Beverages sealed a two year sponsorship for the Drua team ahead of their Super Rugby Pacific debut on February 19.

The sponsorship deal will see Fiji Bitter prominently featured on the front, left side of the team’s shorts.

Paradise Beverage (Fiji) Limited announced the extension at the Paradise Beverages Staff Bar & Canteen in Walu Bay, Suva yester­day.

Speaking to SUNSports Fijian Drua interim chief executive Brian Thorburn said Pacific Beverage will boost the Drua’s performance.

“Paradise Beverages is one of our major sponsors and that is very im­portant, they were there four years ago when they supported the Drua team that won the National Rugby Championship in Australia,” he said.

“Every sponsorship is very impor­tant to us, we are a new franchise starting from ground zero.

“One of the things they are going to do is run some events here in Fiji, in places like the bars and ho­tels with big screen.

“They will provide the opportuni­ty for Fijians to come in and watch together over a beer.

“That is important because it will help out in the energy and the hype in the country.

“They have a great marketing strategies that will really help us out.

Paradise Beverages general man­ager Mike Spencer said they are ready to support the team.

“We are proud and really excited to be able to support the team,” he said.

“You will see when the team run on a beautiful Fiji Bitter logo is on the shorts that will hopefully make a lot of people in Fiji very proud.

“If you are here in Fiji you’ll see that every Fijian Drua’s 14 games plus the finals we will have an event here at home for each of those games, there will be something happening on match day.”

The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will face 2014 Super Rugby cham­pions and three times finalist NSW Waratahs on February 18th at the Commbank Stadium in Parramat­ta, Western Sydney Australia.

Feedback: simione.haravanua@fijisun.com.fj