WXV3 confirmation for Fiji and Samoa
At the Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship at Sunnybank Rugby Club in Brisbane, Australia, on Wednesday, Fijiana and Samoa won their second round matches, setting up a winner-take-all championship decider.
After defeating Tonga 48-3 in the opening round, Fijiana defeated a redesigned Papua New Guinea team, which featured ten debutants, 85-6 to earn their second bonus point of the season.
Samoa, the reigning champions, defeated Tonga 29–7 to start their championship defense. Following the cancellation of their scheduled opening match versus Papua New Guinea due to logistical concerns preventing the Cassowaries from traveling, Samoa was given four competition points.
Going into the last round on Sunday, Fijiana, the three-time champions, are topping the rankings with 10 points, while Samoa is one point behind them in second place.
Both teams will compete in WXV 3 2024 in Dubai later this year, where they will join the Netherlands and Madagascar in the six-team competition, as they are assured of a top-two finish. At 14:00 local time (GMT+10), Tonga plays Papua New Guinea for third place. At 16:00, the two best teams in the league face off for the trophy.
Fans with tickets and those watching on RugbyPass TV from a distance should expect an exciting show if it is anything like the finale from the previous year, which saw Manusina triumph 19–18.
The 2024 Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship winners will go on to represent England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup as the ninth side to earn a spot in the tournament.
FIJI 85-6 PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Atelaite Buna, an outside center, tied the Fijiana record for most tries in a game with four touchdowns during her team’s convincing 85–6 victory over Papua New Guinea.
Luisa Tisolo, the team’s record pointscorer, converted ten of Fijiana’s total of thirteen runs.
Buna and the rest of the backs had enough of good ball to demonstrate their running and handling prowess, and they generally took good advantage of the opportunities that came their way since Fijiana used their formidable maul and scrum as a platform to play from.
In the first half, Fijiana scored a point every minute. Merewai Cumu scored first, and then the scrum’s number eight and captain Karalaini Naisewa scored a score by charging over from 20 meters out.
After that, Fiji went past 30 points thanks to Buna, Iris Verebalavu, and Asinate Serevi, the daughter of Fijian hero Waisale. Naisewa then scored her second, and Tisolo converted for the sixth time.
Just before the break, Joanne Lagona scored an easy penalty to provide Papua New Guinea a much-needed boost.
Shortly after the resumption, Lagona made another three-pointer, but Buna had already begun to tie the mark shared by Adita Milinia, Reapi Ulunisau, and Ilisapeci Delaiwau.
Buna moved on to four tries after crossing three times in 13 minutes, demonstrating her pace and readiness to be in the right spot at the right moment.
Wingmen After Merewairita Neivosa and rookie Repeka Tove joined in on the fun, Adita Milinia stepped off the bench and ran a try in try number twelve, showcasing her class.
Then, after receiving the ball five meters out from another strong scrum, athletic forward Sulita Waisega earned the try her outstanding performance from the bench merited by deceiving the try-line defender with a fast step and a hip swivel.
