Bitila Tawake

The Fiji Rugby Union is confident that new Chiefs Manawa signing, Bitila Tawake will excel in her new environment in the 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki competition in New Zealand.

Tawake led the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua women’s side to back-to-back Super W titles in 2022 and this year but has been named in the Chiefs squad for next year.

FRU High Performance Manager Women’s Rugby Alana Thomas says having Tawake play at such a high-level competition will boost her game.

“It’s a great opportunity for her as a player to grow as a player and to experience and be challenged in different ways but what it opens up is for a young player to come through into the Fijian Drua and start to develop. Just like the men’s side of the game, the ability for those players to come into the Drua, and developed to grow and build our depth of players.”

Meanwhile the Fijian Drua women will begin their Super W campaign on March 17th, when they face the Queensland Reds in a repeat of last year’s final.