Fiji Warriors Explained

Teamname:Fiji Warriors
Union:Fiji Rugby Union
Nickname:Warriors, Fiji A
Emblem:the Palm
Coach:Senirusi Seruvakula
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The Fiji Warriors, also referred to as Fiji A, is a national representative rugby team of rugby union in Fiji. It is the second-tier side to the Fiji national team. The Warriors team is selected from players in the Fijian domestic competitions and competes in the World Rugby Pacific Challenge against Samoa A and Tonga A. Since 2016, the Fiji Warriors team has played in the Americas Pacific Challenge against national A teams from North and South America.

History

Fiji's national A team has made several tours to South America, the earliest being in 2003 where they defeated by 24–3 in Montevideo.[1] But the history of the second national team can be traced back almost half a century earlier to 1955 when a Fiji XV side undertook a two-week tour of Samoa and was undefeated in all three matches played.[2]

The Fiji Warriors first played in the Pacific Rugby Cup in 2006, but the team was one of two Fijian sides in the competition for the first five years – the other being the Fiji Barbarians – and so it was not considered to be Fiji A for that period.

In 2010, Fiji A played two matches against in the first Punjas Series. The team had one win and one loss but claimed the series on aggregate scores.[3] This result was repeated in the second (and concluding) Punjas Series in 2011.[4]

The Pacific Rugby Cup was reorganised in 2011, with Fiji Warriors becoming the sole Fijian representative in the PRC, which has since been mainly contested by national 'A' teams. From 2011 onward the Fiji Warriors team has effectively been Fiji A.

In 2012, the Fiji A team toured to Ireland where they suffered one of their heaviest defeats, beaten 53–0 at Limerick by the.[5]

At the 2015 World Rugby Pacific Challenge, the Fiji Warriors were the runner-up, with wins over Junior Japan and Samoa A and two defeats against the Argentine Pampas XV. In May 2015, the Fiji Warriors made a South American tour to play Uruguay and an Argentina XV, winning all three matches.In 2016, it played World Rugby Pacific Challenge and also World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge.

Squads

2011

Notes

* denotes players who were in the Fiji 2011 RWC squad.

** denotes players who have played for Fiji in a Test.

*** denotes players who have played 7s for Fiji in the IRB Series.

2015

Fiji Warriors 28-man squad for the uncapped June matches against Uruguay and Pampas XV, acting as 2015 Rugby World Cup warm-ups for all three nations. The team will be coached by Senirusi Seruvakula, who will work closely with the national head coach John McKee.[6]

Warriors Head Coach: Senirusi Seruvakula

Record

Honours

Pacific Challenge (formerly the Pacific Rugby Cup)

Americas Pacific Challenge

Season standings

Pacific Challenge

YearPosPldWDLFA+/-TBLBPtsFinalNotes
20202nd3 2 0 1 88 26 +62 2 0 10 Runner-up on league table (no final)
20191st3 3 0 0 170 54 +116 3 0 15 Title winner on league table (no final)
20181st3 3 0 0 118 31 +87 3 0 15 Title winner on league table (no final)
20171st3 3 0 0 125 71 +54 2 0 15 Title winner on league table (no final)
20161st3 3 0 0 134 34 +100 3 0 1536–0 Won final against
20152nd3 2 0 1 145 42 +103 2 1 119–17 Lost final to Argentina's Pampas XV
20143rd3 2 0 1 154 59 95 2 1 11 Won 3rd play-off 54–21 against
20131st6 2 2 2 118 155 -37 2 0 14 Title winner on league table (no final)
20121st8 7 0 1 205 165 40 3 0 31 Title winner on league table (no final)
20111st8 4 0 4 144 201 -57 0 1 17 Title winner on league table (no final)
20101st540115573+822 1 19 Won final against Fiji Barbarians
20092nd530216889+793 2 1719–7 Won final against Upolu Samoa
20086th510470104−340 3 7 Did not compete in finals
20074th52039390+30 1 11 Did not compete in finals
20062nd531111272+401 1 175–10 Lost final to Savaii Samoa

Americas Pacific Challenge

International results

Matches against national teams or national 'A" teams since 2010 up to and including the 2015 tour to Uruguay:

16-04-2010 (PS) align=right Fiji A12–27 National Stadium, Suva
23-04-2010 (PS)align=right Fiji A21–3 Churchill Park, Lautoka
19-03-2011 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors21–14 Churchill Park, Lautoka
22-03-2011 (PRC) align=right 12–23 Fiji Warriors Churchill Park, Lautoka
13-08-2011 (PS) align=right Fiji A27–12 Churchill Park, Lautoka
19-08-2011 (PS) align=right Fiji A30–32 Churchill Park, Lautoka
15-10-2012 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors 42–34 Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku'alofa
19-10-2012 (PRC) align=right 16–25 Fiji Warriors Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku'alofa
17-11-2012 align=right 53–0 Fiji Warriors Thomond Park, Limerick
18-03-2014 (PRC) align=right 13–99 Fiji Warriors Bond University, Gold Coast
23-03-2014 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors 54–21 TG Milner Oval, Sydney
10-03-2015 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors 20–22 National Stadium, Suva
14-03-2015 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors 83–0 National Stadium, Suva
18-03-2015 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors 42–20 National Stadium, Suva
23-03-2015 (PRC) align=right Fiji Warriors 9–17 National Stadium, Suva
23-05-2015 align=right 22–30 Fiji Warriors Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
27-05-2015 align=right 21–23 Fiji Warriors Estadio Suppici, Colonia del Sacramento

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/183909.html Fiji XV Tour - Montevideo
  2. http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/series/106238.html?template=results Fiji XV tour 1955
  3. http://www.fijilive.com/sports/rugby/news/2010/04/24/14844.Fijilive Match 2 Report
  4. http://www.oceaniarugby.com/110819_fiji_lose_but_claim_punjas_series.html/ref/267 Fiji lose but claim Punjas Series
  5. http://en.espn.co.uk/ireland/rugby/match/168632.html Fiji XV Tour - Limerick, 17 November 2012
  6. http://www.fijirugby.com/news/seruvakula-names-team-to-uruguay/ Seruvakula Names Team to Uruguay