Fijiana XVs No.8 awarded British Army Sportswoman of the Year

Fijiana XVs number eight Manuqalo Komaitai was awarded the Sportsman of the Year at the Brisitsh Army Sports Awards.

Guardsman Komaitai is a soldier in the Irish Guards and is the first Fijian woman to serve in the elite regiment tasked with guarding Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

She had a breakthrough year in Army and international rugby having a rapid rise from novice in 2020 to Army & Fijiana international in five years.

She earned the award following her Her dominant performances in Inter-Services Championship where the Bau native scored four tries and was the Player of the Match when they played against Royal Air Forces (RAF).

Komaitai also scored a try on her debut for Fiji and played in all the three Women’s Rugby World Cup matches.

The 29-year-old took up rugby with the British Army after completing her training in 2021 as leisure and a way of keeping fit.

Four years later, it landed her on the Fijiana XVs squad where she made her debut off the bench against Tonga in the Oceania Championship on June 6.

Komaitai plays for the London Irish Emerald Club.