Battle of Fiji' to spark Skipper Cup: Prop

He is regarded as the coun­try's best tighthead prop. Suva and Police forward In­oke Ravuiwasa has been one of the stars during the Skipper Cup compe­titions.

This week, he joined the Skipper Select XV as they camp in Sigatoka to prepare for their 'Battle for Fiji' clash against the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua at Churchill Park, Lau­toka, on Friday, February 6.

The seasoned Skipper Cup campaigner said having a few veterans in the squad has been a big boost to the young players.

"This will give them the courage to lift their game in the Skipper Cup 2026 competition," Ravuiwasa said.

He is the son of former Fiji, Suva and Rabi prop, the late Julian Ravui­wasa.

Against the Drua, an interesting battle looms when Ravuiwasa faces Super Rugby campaigners like Me­sake Doge, Emosi Tuqiri, Haereiti Hetet, Meli Tuni, Samu Tawake and Peni Ravai.

"This opportunity of playing the best. We have been selected and we are here to perform."

Ravuiwasa said the players have been playing throughout the season so they are prepared for the encoun­ter.

"Most teams have started prepar­ing just a few weeks into the season but for us we have the advantage as this is our build-up for the upcoming season," he said.

Ravuiwasa said that majority of the players in the Skipper Select XV have been part of the Fiji Rugby Un­ion (FRU) High Performance Unit (HPU) pathway.