Sunia Turuva [Source: FNRL]

The Vodafone Fiji Bati kick off their maiden Pacific Championship campaign with an victory, but they’re far from resting on their laurels as they look ahead to the next challenge.

They secured a hard-fought 22-18 win against the Cook Islands in their first match on Sunday night.

Sunia Turuva, the 2023 Dally M Rookie of the Year, displayed some impressive skills, creating opportunities for his team by gracefully manoeuvring through the Cook Island defence.

Captain Tui Kamikamica is aware of the high expectations placed on the team, and he emphasizes that they won’t be relying solely on their weekend victory as they prepare for their next game.

“Actually just like I said through the week. We know they are going to come in hard this game they coming off a loss last week against PNG we can just feel the physicality in the first 10, 20 minutes and in the second half as well. It’s a tough game of footy but it is what it is.”

[Source: FNRL]

This situation underscores the team’s recognition of the game’s significance and, simultaneously, provides newer players a platform to display their skills.

“We got like nine boys making their international debut just like I said, through the week this is another level. When we represent on international level the intensity will go higher especially playing in these conditions. We just have to get the win and I look forward to next week.”

Kamikamica adds it becomes a valuable learning experience for the nine debutants who harbor ambitions of earning a spot in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.

The Fiji Bati will play PNG Kumuls at 5pm on Sunday and you can watch the match LIVE on the FBC sports HD channel.