The Fijian Drua are a professional rugby union team that represents Fiji in Super Rugby Pacific, the top club competition in the southern hemisphere. They are the only side in the competition to carry the flag for the island nation of Fiji, and one of its newest teams, having joined in 2022 at the same time as Moana Pasifika. Though their professional history is short, the Drua channel a passion for rugby that Fijians have held for more than a century.
Key Facts
| Full name | Swire Shipping Fijian Drua |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Based in | Nadi, Fiji |
| Competition | Super Rugby Pacific (since 2022) |
| Home grounds | HFC Bank Stadium, Suva; Churchill Park, Lautoka |
| Colours | Blue, green and white |
| Head coach | Glen Jackson (2025–2026); Brad Mooar from 2027 |
| Co-captains (2026) | Frank Lomani and Temo Mayanavanua |
| Title sponsor | Swire Shipping |
| Apparel | New Balance |
| Main honour | 2018 NRC champions |
Who are the Fijian Drua?
The Fijian Drua (officially the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua, after their title sponsor) are a franchise owned and run by Fiji Rugby. A franchise is a licensed club created specifically to play in a cross-border competition, rather than a club from a domestic league. The Drua draw their players mainly from Fiji and the Fijian diaspora, giving them a distinctive style built on offloading (passing the ball out of a tackle to keep it alive), quick footwork and high-tempo attack. That flair has long been a hallmark of Fijian rugby, and seeing it expressed by a full-time professional team is a large part of the Drua’s appeal.
The team is based in Nadi, on Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, and plays its home matches in Fiji. Their arrival gave Super Rugby a genuine Pacific presence for the first time. Before 2022, Fijian talent largely scattered to clubs in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Europe; the Drua gave those players a professional pathway at home. Home games in Fiji have since become some of the most atmospheric fixtures in the Super Rugby competition, with capacity crowds, drums and singing turning the grounds into a wall of noise.
From the NRC to Super Rugby
The Drua did not appear overnight. The franchise was launched in 2017, and its early years were spent in Australia’s National Rugby Championship (NRC) — a second-tier provincial competition that ran from 2014 to 2019 and has since been disbanded.
Early years in the NRC
In 2017 Fiji Rugby entered a team into the NRC, a side soon known as the Fijian Drua. They made an immediate impact, finishing third in their debut season before losing their semi-final to Queensland Country.
The 2018 season was the high point. The Drua topped the standings and went all the way, beating Queensland Country 36-26 in the final to claim the NRC title — the franchise’s first and, so far, its only major men’s trophy. In 2019 they reached the play-offs again but fell one point short in the semi-final, losing 28-27 to the Canberra Vikings. The NRC was then wound up, leaving the Drua without a competition.
Joining Super Rugby Pacific
Fijian players and fans had dreamed of a Super Rugby place for years. That ambition grew realistic when the long-standing South African, Argentine and Japanese licences left the competition after 2020. In April 2021, New Zealand Rugby granted the Drua a licence, and their place was confirmed for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Admitting the Drua from Fiji and Moana Pasifika, representing the wider Pacific, prompted the competition to rebrand as Super Rugby Pacific. The two new teams marked a deliberate step toward reflecting the Pacific roots of so many professional players.
Season-by-season in Super Rugby Pacific
The Drua’s first campaign in 2022 was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced them to play most of their home matches in Australia rather than Fiji. It showed in the results: they won only two games and finished 11th, missing the play-offs (the knockout stage contested by the top teams at the end of the regular season).
Everything changed in 2023, their breakthrough year. Playing at home in Fiji, the Drua pulled off famous wins over the Hurricanes and, most memorably, became the first team to beat the reigning champion Crusaders in Fiji. They finished 7th and reached the quarter-finals for the first time, where the Crusaders ended their run with a heavy 49-8 win. The Drua repeated the feat in 2024, again finishing 7th and reaching the quarter-finals, this time losing 36-5 to the Blues. Reaching the knockout stage in back-to-back seasons confirmed that the 2023 run was no fluke, and that a team barely two years into professional rugby could already trouble the competition’s traditional powers.
The two seasons since have been tougher. In 2025 the Drua won just three matches and finished 10th, missing the finals. In 2026 they again finished 10th, their play-off hopes ended by a 45-24 loss to the Queensland Reds in the final round. The table below sets out their complete Super Rugby Pacific record; for the wider picture you can follow the current Super Rugby table.
Season-by-Season Record
| Season | Final position | Record (W–L) | Play-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11th | 2–12 | Did not qualify |
| 2023 | 7th | 6–8 | Quarter-final (lost 49–8 to the Crusaders) |
| 2024 | 7th | 6–8 | Quarter-final (lost 36–5 to the Blues) |
| 2025 | 10th | 3–11 | Did not qualify |
| 2026 | 10th | — | Did not qualify |
Home grounds
The Drua split their home games between two venues in Fiji, and which ground hosts a given match depends on factors such as the opponent and crowd demand:
- HFC Bank Stadium, Suva — the larger of the two, used mainly for rugby, with a capacity of roughly 15,000. It has hosted the Drua’s biggest fixtures, including sell-out crowds.
- Churchill Park, Lautoka — a more compact, intimate ground usually associated with Lautoka football, which can hold around 11,000 with temporary seating in place.
Both venues are known for their heat, humidity and passionate home support, which visiting teams regularly cite as a genuine challenge. The tropical conditions favour the Drua’s fast, ball-in-hand approach and can sap sides more used to the cooler grounds of New Zealand and parts of Australia. Travel is a factor too, as opponents face a long flight and a sharp change in climate before kick-off.
Name, colours and kit
The franchise is named after the drua, a traditional Fijian double-hulled canoe that once served as a warship in naval battles. The club’s logo is a stylised blue drua, and the name is meant to evoke players who are “warriors on the rugby field, playing fast, powerful and fearless rugby”, according to the team’s official website.
The Drua play in blue, green and white. Their home kit is predominantly blue with green and teal accents, while the away kit is largely white with the same green and teal detailing. Playing apparel is supplied by New Balance.
Coaches and captains
The Drua’s first Super Rugby head coach was the Australian Mick Byrne, a former skills specialist with the All Blacks and Wallabies, who led the team from 2022 before moving on to coach Fiji’s national side, the Flying Fijians, after the 2024 season.
Glen Jackson, a former international referee and ex-fly-half who had been an assistant since 2022, took over as head coach for the 2025 season. The club confirmed in April 2026 that Jackson would leave at the end of that season, with both parties declining a contract extension; he has since been appointed head coach of California Legion in Major League Rugby for 2027.
In July 2026 the Drua named New Zealander Brad Mooar as their new head coach on a two-year deal, starting ahead of the 2027 season. Mooar previously coached the Scarlets in Wales, worked within the All Blacks set-up and was most recently an assistant at the Crusaders. On the field, the 2026 side was co-captained by scrum-half Frank Lomani and lock Temo Mayanavanua, with hooker Tevita Ikanivere having led the team in 2025.
Players to know
Because squads change every season, it is more useful to know the established names than a full roster. Many Drua players also feature for the Flying Fijians at test level. Recurring figures in recent squads include:
- Frank Lomani — experienced scrum-half and on-field leader.
- Caleb Muntz — goal-kicking fly-half who controls the attack.
- Tevita Ikanivere — hooker and former captain, a leader in the forward pack.
- Temo Mayanavanua and Isoa Nasilasila — physical, athletic locks.
- Elia Canakaivata — dynamic loose forward and regular Fiji international.
- Selestino Ravutaumada — elusive outside back known for his finishing.
Sponsors
During their NRC years the Drua were sponsored by Fiji Airways. Since entering Super Rugby, their title sponsor has been Swire Shipping, a Hong Kong- and London-linked shipping company, so the team is formally the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua. Fiji Airways has continued as a jersey partner, alongside other backers including Rooster Chicken, reflecting a mix of local and regional support for the franchise. These commercial partnerships matter for a side without the long-established revenue base of the older franchises, helping fund travel, facilities and player contracts.
The Fijian Drua women’s team
Fiji Rugby also fields a Fijian Drua women’s side, which competes in the Australian-run Super Rugby Women’s competition (Super W) rather than New Zealand’s Aupiki. The women’s team has enjoyed notable success, winning the Super W title in 2023 and reaching further finals since, helping to broaden the Drua brand across the Pacific.
What the Drua mean for Pacific rugby
For most of Super Rugby’s history, Fiji and the wider Pacific supplied talent to other nations’ teams without a side of their own. The Drua changed that. Their home matches have produced some of the competition’s most memorable scenes, and reaching the quarter-finals in 2023 and 2024 showed the side can compete at the top level even while still building depth and consistency. Whether or not they reach a Super Rugby final in the near future, the Drua have become a permanent and distinctive fixture of professional rugby in the region.
Sources
- Swire Shipping Fijian Drua — official website
- Super Rugby Pacific — official site
- RNZ — Queensland Reds end 2026 season for Fijian Drua
- Rugby.com.au — Fijian Drua appoint Brad Mooar as head coach
- PINA — Glen Jackson to depart the Fijian Drua
- Rugby.com.au — Fijian Drua and the Super Rugby Women’s competition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who are the Fijian Drua?
The Fijian Drua are a professional rugby union franchise that represents Fiji in Super Rugby Pacific. Owned by Fiji Rugby and based in Nadi, they are the competition’s only Fijian team and are officially known as the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua.
When did the Fijian Drua join Super Rugby?
They joined in 2022, at the same time as Moana Pasifika. New Zealand Rugby granted the licence in April 2021, and the addition of both Pacific teams prompted the competition to rebrand as Super Rugby Pacific.
Where do the Fijian Drua play their home games?
They use two grounds in Fiji: HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, which holds around 15,000, and the more compact Churchill Park in Lautoka. The choice of venue varies from match to match.
Who coaches the Fijian Drua?
Glen Jackson was head coach for the 2025 and 2026 seasons and departs after 2026. New Zealander Brad Mooar was appointed in July 2026 on a two-year deal and takes charge from the 2027 season. Mick Byrne was the team’s first Super Rugby head coach.
Have the Fijian Drua won any trophies?
The men’s team won the 2018 NRC title in Australia but has not yet won a Super Rugby Pacific title; their best results were quarter-final appearances in 2023 and 2024. The Fijian Drua women’s team won the Super Rugby Women’s title in 2023.