Mataiasi Stark 
File Photo
Swire Shipping Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson has confirmed that former captain Meli Derenalagi will be sidelined for an extended period after undergoing a second knee reconstruction.
Jackson said Derenalagi recently had another surgery on his knee and is expected to be out for around nine months as he continues his recovery.
“Meli had another surgery on his knee, so he’s had two knee reconstructions essentially. He’s in the building with us and it’s our goal to get him back on the field as fast as we can, but he is unfortunately out for nine months. We’ll do as much as we can to get him back to full fitness and reassess from there.”
Despite being off contract at the end of the year, Jackson assured that the Drua will continue to support the inspirational forward through his rehabilitation.
“What we do in this club is that Meli’s getting looked after. He’s off contract, I think, in January or December, but that certainly doesn’t mean we won’t look after him and try to get him back on the field.”
Derenalagi, a former Olympic gold medalist with the Fiji 7s team, has been a key figure for the Drua since their debut Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season in 2022.
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