South Africa next for Drua women
Head coach Mike Legge said the team would take lessons from the defeat as they prepare for Test rugby.
Monday 27 July 2026 | 11:30
McDonald’s Fijian Drua women locks Mereoni Nakesa tries to escape the New South Wales Waratahs defence during their Super W final at Govind Park, Ba on July 25, 2026.
Photo: Leon Lord
The Vodafone Fijiana XVs will now shift their focus to next month’s two- Test series against South Africa. The squad is expected to feature majority of the McDonald’s Fiji Drua Women players who played in last Saturday’s 34-17 loss to the NSW Waratahs in the Super W grand-final at Govind Park, Ba.
Head coach Mike Legge said the team would take lessons from the defeat as they prepare for Test rugby.
“Honestly, from the match, it’s just learning and building on where we are right now to Test rugby level,” he said.
Related stories
Legge said the grand-final was probably Drua’s poorest performance of the season.
“I’m just really proud of this group. To get us a home final in front of a packed stadium is historic, so I’m really proud of the girls for getting us this far.”
He said the focus now would be on player recovery ahead of the South Africa series.
“That’s only a couple of weeks away and after that we’ve got about another five Tests,” he said.
“We’ll carry the momentum, we’ll continue to build, but we’ve got to manage some bodies after this and get some good recovery in before we take on South Africa.”
Fijian Drua chief executive officer Jeff Miller said the players deserved a break after a demanding campaign.
The Fijiana XVs are ranked 13th in the world, while South Africa are ranked 10th.
Fiji will host South Africa on August 8 at Suva’s National Stadium before the second Test on August 15 at Churchill Park in Lautoka.
Awards night
Meanwhile, the Drua women’s team will host their annual presentation night at the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa on Denarau on Tuesday.
Fiji Drua general manager commercial Shane Hussein said the event would recognise the contributions of every player in the squad.
“It’s a great time to appreciate and acknowledge the contribution of every single player in the McDonald’s Fiji Drua women’s squad,” he said.
“It will also be a great chance for the girls to enjoy themselves, reflect on how far we’ve come this season and then take a well-deserved break before returning to their rugby commitments.”
The event will be held as the McDonald’s Fiji Drua Presentation Night. Vuvale Restaurants managing director Marc McElrath said McDonald’s Fiji remained committed to supporting the women’s team despite the result in the Super Rugby Women’s final.
