Fijian Drua 2027 Squad Announcement

Jeremy Lardner (0:01)

I begin this episode by paying respect to the Ngunnawal and Nambri people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. I pay respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging, and I extend that same respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners of this podcast.

Thank you. Welcome back to the Dua Moana Pasifika Rugby Podcast, where we bring you Pasifika voices talking Pasifika rugby. Today, we're turning our attention to the Fijian Drua, because after months of speculation, anticipation, plenty of questions about what the future holds for Fiji's Super Rugby Pacific franchise, we finally have some answers, because today was, of course, Squad Announcement Day. Along with the rest of the teams in the Super Rugby comp, the Dua have officially unveiled their squad for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season. We've got 39 players, including seven new signings and 29 capped flying Fijians, some very familiar faces returning to Fijian rugby, some exciting emerging talents getting their opportunities, and a new coaching team preparing to take the club into what could be a defining period in its history. And I'll tell you what, there is plenty to talk about.

We've got the return of Leone Nakarawa, one of the most extraordinary forwards Fiji has ever produced. We've got Ben Vallavola coming back into the picture, bringing years of international experience and another option at 5'8. We've got former Wallaby Ishi Nasrani returning to Fijian rugby, and perhaps one of the most important developments of all, and one I'm so, so happy about. We've got the return of former captain Mellie Darunalangi after an entire season on the sidelines in 2026 He's back on his feet. He's back in action. He's ramping up to an absolutely stellar 2027 season. I can just feel it.

But beyond those headline names, there are some fascinating questions about how this squad has been assembled. Have the Dua finally addressed some of the depth issues that troubled them? Is the forward pack strong enough to compete consistently against the best teams in Super Rugby Pacific? How will Brad Moore and Mike Catt get the best out of this group? And with some important players having moved on over the past couple of seasons, is this actually a stronger squad than the ones we've seen previously?

We'll get into all of that a little later, but first I want to talk about the bigger picture, because to understand the significance of this announcement, we need to understand exactly where the Dua find themselves heading into 2027 When the Fiji Dua entered Super Rugby Pacific all the way back in 2022, there was a real sense that we were witnessing something historic. For the first time, Fiji had a team competing regularly at this level, providing a genuine professional pathway for players who might otherwise have needed to leave the country to pursue their rugby careers. And I think that's important that we don't lose sight of that. The Dua have never been just another Super Rugby franchise. They represent an opportunity for Fijian players to pursue their professional careers while remaining connected to their families, communities and the culture. They represent an opportunity for young players in Fiji's domestic competitions to see a direct pathway from provincial rugby to Super Rugby and potentially to the fine Fijians. And they represent something that generations of Fijian rugby supporters have dreamed of having.

But five seasons into this journey, I think we're entitled to start asking some harder questions.

It's no longer enough for the Dua simply to be competitive at home. It's no longer enough to produce the occasional big performance against a heavily favoured opponent. The challenge now is consistency. Can the Dua become a team that regularly competes for a place in the finals?

Can they develop a playing style that works just as effectively in Christchurch or Canberra as it does in La Toca or Suva? Can they build a squad with enough depth to withstand injuries, international commitments and the inevitable departures that come with professional rugby? Those are the questions that should shape how we evaluate today's performance. Because while it's exciting to see some big names joining the franchise, the real measure of this recruitment drive won't be how impressive the squad looks on paper, it'll be how effectively those players fit together, and whether the coaching staff can turn individual talent into a consistently successful team.

That for me is a challenge facing Brad Moore and his coaching team. One of the most important things about this squad announcement is that it represents the beginning of a new coaching era. Brad Moore is preparing for his first season in charge of the Fijian Dua following his appointment earlier this year, and he hasn't arrived alone.