Fiji FA to conduct first U19 trials – FBC News
[Soure: Fiji Football Association/Facebook] The Fiji Football Association will be conducting its first men’s nationalunder-19 trials this afternoon ahead of the 2026 Oceania Football Confederation Qualifiers. According to head coach Dhirend Chand, the trials will be held over thenext three days at the Fiji Football headquarters in Suva. Chand says he will be looking for more than just talent when selectingplayers for the extended squad. Article continues after advertisement “So we will be looking at the player’s ability, their understanding of the game while taking into account their physical built. At the moment the competition is at a very high level. We will be looking for players who are able to think and quickly move into positions, and have a variety of knowledge in their own positions.” He also mentions that there will be a handful more of trials that will be held around the country, before a final squad is named next month. A total of 30 players from around Viti Levu and Vanua Levu are set to participate. These players have been selected through talent identification programs held across the country since last year. The 2026 OFC Qualifiers will start in June. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Fijian Aerobic Gymnastics off to Australia – FBC News
Fiji’s rising stars in Aerobic Gymnastics have landed in Melbourne to take part in the prestigious Oceania Gymnastics Union AER Continental Camp, underway in Bendigo from December 8 to 11. The camp brings together the region’s most promising athletes competing in Levels 9 and 10 of the Australian Levels Program, as well as Youth, Junior, and Senior International divisions. Representing Fiji at the high-performance program are Robyn East gate(Senior AER International), Lauren Pilla (Youth AER International), Ayden Akbar and Kesaia Sivo (Future Youth Internationals for 2027), and Siegede Luzuriaga and Jemesa Lau (Future Youth Internationals for 2028). Article continues after advertisement The group is accompanied by coach Josie maraya Ryland. The athletes were selected following recommendations from Oceania Technical Director and development specialist Deborah Greenbaum, whose visits to Fiji across 2024 and 2025 identified a pool of young talent with the potential to compete at international level. During the camp, the Fijian team will train under an elite lineup of world-renowned coaches, including Greenbaum herself, twelve-time Australian champion, French national coach Matteo Guerrini, former Hungarian senior national athlete and multiple gold medalist Balasz Farkas, and Bulgaria’s four-time world champion Antonio Papazov. The Gymnastics Federation of Fiji says it is grateful for the support of theOceania Gymnastics Union, noting that the camp offers an invaluable opportunity for young gymnasts to elevate their skills, gain global exposure, and sharpen their preparation for future competitions. The Federation says the effort and commitment shown by these athletes reflects the growing momentum of Aerobic Gymnastics in Fiji and aims to inspire even more young people to pursue the sport with passion and determination. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
NCC play-offs to conclude 2025 football season – FBC News
[Source : Fiji Football Association/Facebook] The pool draws for the Dayal’s Sawmillers National Club Championship 2025 final play-offs have been confirmed, marking the conclusion of the 2025 football season. Six top club teams from across the country have secured their places in the national finals following last week’s zonal playoffs. Grouped together in Pool A is 4R FC, Friends United and Combine Brothers, while Pool B consists of Ray United, Combine Verata and Northpole Lions. Article continues after advertisement The tournament is scheduled to run from Thursday to Sunday at the Fiji FA Academy Ground in Vatuwaqa. Fiji Football Association Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Yusuf said the NCC would close out an exciting year of football, noting that the competition features strong representation from all major districts. “Some teams may be affected as a few players have now signed professional contracts with Bula FC and won’t feature in these final rounds, but this only shows the strength of our development pathway.” The tournament will showcase two matches each on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The top team from each group will progress to the final, which is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. This year’s champions will walk away with $4,000 in prize money, while the runner-up will receive $1,500. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Former Lelean student hails Fiji Festival as breakthrough for Nauru rugby – FBC News
[Source: Nauru Rugby] Former Lelean Memorial School Deans captain Dagan Kaierua has returned to Fiji in a very different role, this time as vice president of the Nauru Rugby Union, and says the Nadi Junior Rugby Festival has delivered exactly what his young players have been missing back home. Kaierua, who captained Lelean’s Deans U19 side in 2003, said Nauru’s junior teams rarely get access to proper contact rugby due to limited facilities, making the Fiji tour a crucial developmental milestone. “Back at home we do not have a ground field and our development has been in terms of slow progress because we couldn’t do mostly contact sports with the rugby. So as you can see we brought under 10to 16, most of those are the age groups that we’ve been missing in doing actual contact sport with rugby. To have this festival here, it’s areal eye opener and good learnings for our kids.” Article continues after advertisement He stressed that the festival not only offers rugby exposure but reinforces values Nauru Rugby wants to embed in its young athletes. “The opportunities with rugby is the rugby values that we are all under, World Rugby, and something that we stand firm and we believe in. We have small issues like in other countries, school attendance ,community assistance, so with rugby instilling discipline in schools it plays a big role with our selections and with character building of our children for our future, on and off the field.” With limited competition at home, Kaierua said Fiji provides the perfect environment for meaningful match experience. “Unfortunately we do not have much clubs to play against each other ,so with this tour and playing against many of the clubs in Nadi and around Fiji, that’s the whole purpose, just to really get the kids what they’ve learnt throughout the year back at home and to really share it to the world.” He says Nauru Rugby hopes to make participation in Fiji an annual part of its development plans. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Fiji’s World Cup focus shifts to pre-tournament build-up – FBC News
[Source: File Photo] Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne says the expanded 24-team Rugby World Cup format will not change Fiji’s mindset heading into the 2027 tournament. With one fewer pool match and a new round-of-16 knockout stage introduced, Byrne believes Fiji’s biggest priority is securing the right preparation well before the tournament kicks off. He says quality opposition and big-stage exposure for players will be vital to ensuring Fiji arrives battle-ready for the knockout rounds. Article continues after advertisement “We normally have four pool games; there’s only going to be three. So our pool matches are getting through those and getting ready for round 16. It’s probably what we do prior to the World Cup that’s important… there’s an opportunity for players to sense the big stage before the big stage arrives.” Byrne says the Flying Fijians are now exploring strong warm-up matches that can mirror the high-intensity build-up enjoyed by major nations like France and England before the 2023 World Cup. He adds that once the tournament begins, Fiji must be ready to transition quickly from pool play into sudden-death rugby, first the round of 16, then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and ultimately the final. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
“Fiji needs ‘real men’ for 2027 RWC push”: Byrne – FBC News
File Photo Fiji Water Flying Fijians head coach Mick Byrne says character and conditioning, not talent, will shape Fiji’s 2027 Rugby World Cup squad. Byrne revealed that selectors will prioritise mentally strong, disciplined players capable of enduring the intensity of a long World Cup campaign. He said Fiji already has the rugby ability; what they need now are the right men to carry it through seven demanding weeks. Article continues after advertisement “When you go away on a seven-week tour, you need to make sure you’ve got real good men with you. Those are the qualities we’ll be looking for… We know that the rugby is not the issue.” The coach said fitness, conditioning and unity will outweigh pure skill in the final selection process. Byrne added that while Fiji boasts world-class talent across several positions, the defining factor for 2027 will be players who can stay connected, committed and “be there for their teammates” throughout the entire campaign. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Fiji tied in first place with SA and NZ – FBC News
The Fiji Airways Men’s 7s side may have missed out on lifting the Dubai and Cape Town Sevens trophies, but their consistency has paid off in a massive way. After back-to-back third-place finishes, the Fiji men’s 7s side sits thrillingly level on 32 points with both Cape Town champions South Africa and Dubai winners New Zealand at the top of the HSBC SVNS standings. It’s an impressive early-season statement from Osea Kolinisau’s squad, who remain firmly in the title hunt despite not yet appearing in a Cup final. Article continues after advertisement Their resilience in both legs keeps Fiji right in the thick of the championship race heading into the next tournaments. On the women’s ladder, the Fijiana 7s side sits sixth overall with 22 points, maintaining striking distance of the top four after strong efforts in Dubai and Cape Town. A long season lies ahead, and Fiji, in both competitions, are right where they need to be. The pool for the next leg in Singapore has also been drawn and Fiji are pooled with South Africa, Spain and Great Britain. The Fijiana are pooled with Australia, USA and Japan. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Local players to participate in four-day hockey festival – FBC News
[Source: Oceania Hockey Federation/Facebook] Seven local hockey players have left for the Solomon Islands to take part inthe Female FIH World Youth Hockey5s Festival, which begins tomorrow. Over the next four days, the players will participate in workshops, trainingcamps and matches designed to further develop their skills on the turf. The festival is part of the Oceania Hockey Federation’s initiative to expandopportunities for women and girls, with a particular focus on strengtheningpathways in coaching and officiating. Article continues after advertisement The camp aims to deliver an international program centered on skilldevelopment, knowledge sharing and education. Parallel programs for umpires, coaches and youth leadership will runalongside all athlete development activities. Participants will engage in a mix of practical skills sessions and educationalworkshops while building new connections with peers from across thePacific. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Kolinisau stresses defence after back to back third-place finish – FBC News
[Source : FILE PHOTO] Fiji men’s 7s coach Osea Kolinisau says the new-look HSBC SVNS formatis proving brutally demanding, making consistency and defensive disciplinemore important than ever. His comments followed Fiji’s gritty 26–19 win over France to secure thirdplace in Cape Town this morning.Kolinisau acknowledged Fiji fell short of their target of pushing further intothe tournament, but praised his players for responding under pressure. “We’re happy with the boys’ performance against France. We’redisappointed… but I’m happy the boys bounced back.” Article continues after advertisement He described the revamped series structure, where every pool matchcarries knockout-level urgency as unforgiving. “This format is tough and we try to stay consistent. We weren’t asconsistent as we wanted to be, but I’m happy we came out with thepoints in this last game”. Kolinisau admitted Argentina exposed Fiji’s errors in their cup quarter-final,but said the team reset quickly to finish strongly. “Kudos to Argentina, They kept the ball away from us in the first half andwe made a lot of mistakes. We went and talked with the boys about what’simportant. “We wanted to win against France… to stay in touch at the top ofthe table.” A major focus moving forward, Kolinisau stressed, is defence, an area he has targeted heavily in recent weeks. Fiji leave Cape Town tied on 32 points with South Africa and New Zealandat the top of the men’s standings after the opening two legs. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
Notre Dame opts out of bowl game after getting ‘punched in the stomach’ by CFP – FBC News
[Source: AP News] Snubbed by the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame snubbed its nose at a second-tier bowl game. The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish responded to getting dropped in the CFP rankings for the second consecutive week by turning down an invitation to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida. “Overwhelming shock and sadness,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports. “Like a collective feeling that we were all just punched in the stomach.” Article continues after advertisement Although boycotting a bowl might be the exact reaction that many Notre Dame fans wanted, it can’t help the long-term viability of non-playoff bowl games. The decision also denies Notre Dame’s seniors a chance for one final game, denies underclassmen from a few extra weeks of practice and denies a legion of fans — is there a bigger brand in college football? — from watching their team play again. Unlike Iowa State and Kansas State, which each got fined $500,000 by the Big 12 for opting out of bowls because of coaching changes, Notre Dame won’t get punished because it’s not a full-fledged member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Despite winning every game for nearly three months, Notre Dame fell behind Miami in the final CFP rankings and was left out of the 12-team bracket entirely. The Fighting Irish won their last 10 games by an average of nearly 30 points but watched championship weekend from afar, idle as an independent with no options to impress the selection committee one last time in a league title game. Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.