Seniors Take Lead Role
While the Drua outing is an honour, being a senior player is not easy as you need to set the pace and good example to newcomers.
Latest inclusion to the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua listing prop Mesake Doge made the comment during the confirmation of their six home games next year in Suva yesterday.
“As senior players it’s not easy to be one of the core leaders in the team but it is very important for us to set good examples to young players,” the 29-year-old powerhouse tighthead prop said.
Standing at 1.8 metres tall Doge, who hails from Bulu, Nadogo in Macuata Doge was playing for Dragons in the PRO 14 before his signing up with the Fijian Drua for two years.
“Most of the young players have never been in a professional environment. That is why senior players play an important role to play in introducing them into the professional bracket like watching our diets, public appearances, associating ourselves with fans and stuff like that.
“To be a professional player is like an 8-5 job.
“You come in every morning to the gym or ground, you train then you return home.
“These boys are lucky to be playing near and at home, in France we don’t have time to come home because the season keeps rolling.
“We are playing six games at home so professionalism is very important.
“There will be a lot of temptations at home, compared to camping in Australia.
“If we want to be better, we must be good role models, leading and showing them how things are done in a professional environment. This is important for a team in a competition like the Super Rugby.
Meanwhile Flying Fijians forward Doge and Olympic gold medalist Iosefo Masi are the latest inclusion to the Drua squad preparing for the new Super Rugby season.
Yesterday Fijian Drua interim chief executive officer Brian Thorburn said they have four names left to finalise before they can release the final list of players for the Super Rugby Pacific 2023 outing.
It has been also released that of the six Shop N Save Supermarket Super Rugby Pacific featuring the Fijian Drua at home, three to be staged at the HFC Bank Stadium and three at Lautoka’s Churchill Park.
Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific (Fiji territory) Fijian Drua home matches: Round 3 March 11 (Saturday) 3.35pm Fijian Drua vs Crusaders at Churchill Park; Round 6 April (Saturday) 3.35pm Fijian Drua vs Rebels at HFC Bank Stadium; Round 10 April 29 (Saturday) 2.05pm Fijian Drua vs Blues at Churchill Park; Round 11 May 6 (Saturday) 2.05pm Drua vs Hurricanes at HFC Bank Stadium; Round 14 May 27 (Saturday) 2.05pm Fijian Drua vs Moana Pasifika and Round 15 June 3 (Saturday) 4.35pm Fijian Drua vs Reds.
The other Fijian Drua matches: Round 1 February 25 (Saturday) 4.35pm (NZ and local time) vs Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland; Round 2 March 4 (Saturday) 7.45pm (Australia and local time) vs Waratahs at AAMI Park, Melbourne; Round 4 March 19 (Sunday) 3pm (Brisbane and local time) vs Reds at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane; Round 5 March 25 (Saturday) 4.35pm (New Zealand and local time) vs Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin; Round 7 Easter Weekend – Fijian Drua on bye; Round 8 April 14 (Friday) 7.45pm (Australia and local time) vs Brumbies at GIO Stadium, Canberra; Round 9 April 21 (Friday) 7.05pm (New Zealand and local time) vs Chiefs at FMG Stadium, Waikato, Hamilton; Round 12 May 12 (Friday) 5.35pm (Perth and local time) vs Force at HBF Park, Perth and Round 13 May 20 (Saturday) 7.45pm (Sydney and local time) vs Waratahs at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
Story By: simione.haravanua@fijisun.com.fj
