Delay In Returning To Base Worry Byrne
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua team have been away from their base at the Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head, New South Wales for three weeks.
Thursday 21 April 2022 | 11:31
Swire Shipping Fijian Drua prop Kaliopasi Uluilakepa in action for the Drua during one of the Super Rugby Pacific rounds. The Drua will take on the Blues at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Australia, this Saturday. Photo: Fijian Drua
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua team have been away from their base at the Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head, New South Wales for three weeks.
They were relocated to the Gold Coast for ten days following evacuation orders for northern New South Wales towns amid warnings of life-threatening flash floods on March 28.
The rising water levels in the town of Lismore forced the closure of the Fijian Drua’s base camp at Lake Ainsworth early this month.
Head coach Mick Byrne said that caused delay in trying to get Alivereti Veitokani over to join them.
“I think there have been sort of a couple of delays for us when we got evacuated,” Bryne said.
“We didn’t have a home base. It’s difficult to be bringing people in when we don’t know where we’re going to be based. So it’s been pretty disruptive.
“We were at the Gold Coast and Brisbane this week and Fiji obviously next week. At this stage we still don’t have a home base.
“We’re struggling when we don’t actually have a home base anymore and where we’re going to be based so a couple of those things have been put on hold.”
The Drua face Blues at 7:05pm at AAMI Park in Melbourne this Saturday
