Fiji – Drua
The Fijian Drua have announced the re-signing of four more players beyond the current Super Rugby Pacific season.
The quartet includes Flying Fijians locks Isoa Nasilasila and Leone Rotuisolia, along with flankers Vilive Miramira and Elia Canakaivata.
Fijian Drua CEO Mark Evans said these are crucial signings for the club.
The Fijian Drua will host the Crusaders at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Saturday, March 11.
Fiji – Sevens
Fiji 7s head coach Ben Gollings says at times the team puts itself in a position to get penalised.
Gollings was speaking after the Vancouver Sevens, where Fiji beat Kenya and Great Britain but lost to Uruguay, and the fifth-place semi-final to the US.
Fiji sits fourth overall in the World Series with the next tournament, the Hong Kong Sevens, at the end of March.
The FBC reports Gollings pointed out weaknesses and what they need to build on come Hong Kong.
The English-born coach says the players tend to get too carried away in the heat of a battle.
Fiji is pooled with Argentina, Samoa and Canada for Hong Kong.
Wallis and Futuna – athletics
Felise Vahai Sosaia kept up Wallis and Futuna’s proud record in javelin.
Photo: Pacific Games Service Roland Setu
A javelin thrower from Wallis and Futuna has won gold at the Continental Tour event in Melbourne.
Felise Vahai Sosaia threw 82.04 metres, beating his previous personal record of 78.09 from July 2022.
This makes him the fourth best French javelin thrower of all time.
The minimum requirement to qualify for the World Championships 2023 in Budapest is a throw of 85.20 metres.
PNG/Fiji – league
The PNG Hunters claimed the inaugural Melanesian Bowl with a win over the Kaiviti Silktails in Sigatoka, Fiji at the weekend.
The Silktails led 12-4 at half-time 12-4, but a second half hat-trick by the Hunters front-rower Junior Rop resulted in a 26-12 win for the Papua New Guinea side.
Several days of rain and a second half downpour meant the game was played on a water-logged pitch.
The inaugural game was meant to be held last year in the Gold Coast but was cancelled due to severe weather.
PNG – football
The Papua New Guinea Football Association says the appointment of women’s coach Spencer Prior was only for the recent World Cup inter-confederation playoff and future agreements will depend on reports on his performance.
The association says the technical department will deliberate before advising the secretariat on whether to retain the Englishman.
Prior told The National that he had not heard from the association yet on his position.
PNG lost 2-0 to Panama in the playoffs in New Zealand last month and then 5-0 to Chinese Taipei a few days later.
PNG – lawn bowls
The PNG Bowls Association has changed its focus after lawn bowls was dropped from the Pacific Games.
The Post Courier reports PNG Bowls has accepted accepted invitations to attend the Oceania Cup set for next month in Auckland, and to the World Cup slated for the Gold Coast, Australia, starting in late August.
Bowls PNG Association president Graham Sakora said both international meets are subject to funding.
He said the World Cup is far enough away to have some time to raise money, but the event in New Zealand will be touch and go.
Sakora said they plan on sending a team of five men, five women, two coaches and two team managers to Auckland.