Mataiasi Stark 
The Fiji Rugby Union and the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua are working hand in hand to ensure young players have clear pathways to professional rugby.
Both organisations are tasked with nurturing talent from the grassroots level, and each has a defined role in that process.
The aim is to complement one another rather than overlap, so players can transition smoothly through the system.
FRU Lead Performance and Pathways Manager, Bill Gadolo, outlined how the two programmes are aligned.
“Drua starts from Under-16 and then finishes off at Under-17, whilst Fiji Rugby High Performance takes over from Under-18 to 23. That’s a clear demarcation and we do not want to duplicate programmes because it’s such a small place and we’re dealing with almost the same group of players.”
He said this structured approach ensures both the Drua and FRU are playing their part in preparing athletes for the next level.
“We want the demarcation and the alignment on the two programmes to be such.”
The pathways focus is part of wider discussions at the FRU Symposium, where coaches and stakeholders are mapping the future of Fijian rugby.
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