Fiji national rugby league team

International rugby league football team
Fiji
Badge of Fiji team
Team information
NicknameFiji Bati
Governing bodyFiji National Rugby League
RegionAsia-Pacific
Head coachWise Kativerata
CaptainTui Kamikamica
Most capsKevin Naiqama (25)
Top try-scorerAkuila Uate (14)
Top point-scorerWes Naiqama (132)
Home stadiumNational Stadium
IRL ranking7th
Uniforms
First colours
Team results
First international
Samoa Western Samoa 32–18 Fiji 
(Apia, Samoa; 1992)
Biggest win
 Fiji 72–6 Wales 
(Townsville, Australia; 5 November 2017)
Biggest defeat
 Australia 84–14 Fiji 
(Marathon Stadium, Newcastle; 12 July 1994)
World Cup
Appearances5 (first time in 1995)
Best resultBronze Semifinals (2008, 2013, 2017)

The Fiji national rugby league team, nicknamed the Bati (pronounced [mˈbatʃi]), has been participating in international rugby league football since 1992. The team is controlled by the governing body for rugby league in Fiji, Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL), which is currently a member of the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC). Fiji have thrice reached the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup, in 2008, 2013 and 2017, and are currently ranked 6th in the International Rugby League's World Rankings. They are coached by Fijian Wise Kativerata, and their captain is Kevin Naiqama.

History

1990s

The game was introduced to Fiji only in 1992 but despite this there has been a long history of Fijian players making their mark in rugby league, most notably back in the 1960s when great players such as Joe Levula and Laitia Ravouvou joined Rochdale Hornets and became household names in the English competition.

Interest and participation in rugby league snowballed throughout Fiji, and as well as continued success in the Rugby League World Sevens, the Batis began playing full 13-aside games against international teams. By 1994, Fiji had hammered the Great Britain amateurs 40–8 and, captained by mighty front-rower James Pickering, beat France 20–12.

They had also produced their first rugby league superstar after winger Noa Nadruku joined Canberra Raiders and in 1993 became the top try-scorer in the Australian competition.

Fiji took part in their first World Cup in 1995 where, just as the 2000 World Cup, they had the misfortune to be placed in the same group as both England and Australia. But the Batis made a massive impression in their opening World Cup game in which they ran riot against South Africa, 52–6, and had the crowd on their feet at Keighley.

During the Super League war, Fiji, like most countries other countries, aligned itself with Super League. In search of international competition, the Australian Rugby League played a match against a "National Rugby League of Fiji" team in 1996. This match has been granted Test status by the ARL, but not by the Rugby League International Federation.

2000s

Coached by Don Furner, Sr. and captained by Lote Tuqiri, Fiji competed in the 2000 World Cup but did not progress past the tournament's group stage.

The Fiji Bati qualified for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup held in Australia after finishing second in Pacific qualifying behind Tonga. Fiji's qualification campaign started with a thrilling 30–28 loss to Samoa before reversing the scoreline a few days later with a 30–28 win over the Tongans. Fiji won their final qualifying game against Cook Islands 40–4. Having qualified the Vodafone Fiji Bati team started their Rugby League World Cup 2008 campaign with 42–6 win over France followed by a 2-point defeat to Scotland, however they topped their group with a superior points difference. Beating Ireland in their quarter final they came within one match of the World Cup final, but were defeated by Australia, ending the tournament in 4th place.

2010s

Fiji automatically qualified for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup after participating in the 2008 tournament. They took on Australia, England and Ireland in the pool stage. In their first match they took on 'the Wolfhounds'. They played at the famous Spotland Stadium, in Rochdale, where Fiji have an historic affiliation with. The Fijians convincingly won by a score of 32–14. As expected Fiji lost to both Australia and England, although they surprised many, as they only conceded 34 points against the teams in each game and they led 2–0 against Australia, and were within a few minutes of taking a half-time lead against England. Fiji would take on 'fierce Pacific rivals' Samoa in the quarter-final. They won the, passionate pacific, fixture and they would celebrate with a 22–4 victory. They celebrated even more, as it meant Fiji reached their second consecutive World Cup semi-final. They took on Australia again, but this game was nothing like the group stage fixture. Fiji's errors conceded them 62 points against a classy Australian side. This defeat ended and equalled their best World Cup campaign in their history.

In May 2014, Fiji took on Samoa in the 2014 Pacific Rugby League Test at Penrith Stadium. The International was created as a qualifier for the final 2014 Four Nations spot. It was also a chance for the Four Nations team (winner of this international) to warm-up before the event kicked off later in the year. Fiji failed to qualify with their fierce pacific rivals getting the better of them by 32–16.

In May 2015, Fiji took on Papua New Guinea in the 2015 Melanesian Cup test at Cbus Super Stadium. Fiji won the match and the inaugural Melanesian Cup title.[1] Fiji never looked like losing the match after an easy first half performance, leading 18-0 at the break. They went on to win the test match by 22–10.

In May 2016, Fiji took on Papua New Guinea in the 2016 Melanesian Cup test at Pirtek Stadium. Fiji had a similar situation in this year's Melanesian Cup with a half-time score of 16–8 but this time around they conceded too many second half points allowing the Kumuls to make a shock comeback and win the match 24–22.

In the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in New Zealand & Australia, Fiji topped Group D before recording their biggest upset victory, defeating New Zealand 4–2 in the quarter-finals. They then lost to Australia 54–6 in the semi-finals.

2020s

Fiji automatically qualified for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup having reached the semi-finals of the previous Rugby League World Cup. The 2021 tournament will take place in England.

Kit

Primary
1992–1995
1995 World Cup
2008 World Cup

Players

Current squad

The squad selected for the match 2023 Pacific Championships.[2] Statistics in the table are drawn from the website, Rugby League Project, and include the Bowl Final on 5 November 2023.

J# Player Age Position(s) Fiji Bati Club NRL SL Other Reps
Dbt M T G F P CM TM CM TM
1 Jahream Bula 21 Fullback 2023 3 1 0 0 4 Wests Tigers 18 18 0 0
2 Maika Sivo 30 Wing 2019 10 9 0 0 36 Parramatta Eels 103 103 0 0
5 Mikaele Ravalawa 25 Centre, Wing 2019 5 0 0 0 0 St. George Illawarra Dragons 86 86 0 0
4 Waqa Blake 29 Centre, Wing 2017 5 3 0 0 12 Parramatta Eels 77 165 0 0 1
18 Jason Qareqare 19 Wing 2023 2 1 0 0 4 Castleford Tigers 0 21 21
6 Kurt Donoghoe 21 Five-eighth, Lock 2023 3 2 0 0 8 Dolphins (NRL) 8 8 0 0
7 Brandon Wakeham 24 Halfback, Five-eighth 2019 10 1 43 1 91 Wests Tigers 15 40 0 0
8 Tui Kamikamica 29 Prop 2016 19 3 0 0 12 Melbourne Storm 92 92 0 0
9 Penioni Tagituimua 24 Hooker 2019 11 2 0 0 8 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 0 0 0 1
10 King Vuniyayawa 28 Prop 2018 9 0 0 0 0 Salford Red Devils 5 44 60
13 Taane Milne 28 Second-row, Wing 2017 13 4 8 0 32 South Sydney Rabbitohs 48 67 0 0
12 Apisalome Saukuru 21 Second-row, Lock 2023 3 0 0 0 0 Wests Tigers 0 0 0
15 Caleb Navale Lock 2023 3 1 0 0 4 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 0 0 0
11 Kitione Kautoga 21 Second-row 2023 2 0 0 0 0 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 0 1 0 0
16 Gordon Whippy Prop 2023 3 0 0 0 0 Ipswich Jets 0 0 0
17 Watisoni Waqanisaravi Prop 2023 2 0 0 0 0 Kaiviti Silktails 0 0 0
21 Pio Seci 30 Second-row 2016 5 1 0 0 4 Forbes Magpies 1 1 0 0
20 Sirilo Lovokuro Lock 2023 2 0 0 0 0 Kaiviti Silktails 0 0 0
14 Noah Nailagoliva Hooker 2023 2 0 0 0 0 Newcastle Knights 0 0 0
3 Sunia Turuva 21 Centre, Wing 2022 6 4 0 0 16 Penrith Panthers 29 29 0 0
Mesake Ravonu Prop 2023 1 0 0 0 0 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 0 0 0

Notes:

  • Age is as at the last match date, 5 November 2023.
  • Players listed in order of jumper number for the 5 November 2023 match, as given in the team list on the NRL website.
  • Waqa Blake has previously played for City Origin.
  • Penioni Tagituimua played for the Fiji Prime Minister's XIII in 2019.
  • Clubs outside the NRL and Super League are shaded in the above table.

Records

  • Bold- denotes that the player is still active.

Most capped players

# Name Career Caps
1 Kevin Naiqama 2009-2022 25
2 Akuila Uate 2006-2018 18
3 Apisai Koroisau 2013-2022 17
Tui Kamikamica 2016-2022 17
Eloni Vunakece 2007-2018 17
6 Viliame Kikau 2015-2022 16
Junior Roqica 2011-2019 16
8 Ashton Sims 2008-2017 15
9 Wes Naiqama 2006-2014 14
James Storer 2008-2017 14
Ben Nakubuwai 2016-2022 14

Top try scorers

# Name Career Tries
1 Akuila Uate 2006-2018 14
2 Suliasi Vunivalu 2017-2019 12
3 Viliame Kikau 2015-2022 11
4 Kevin Naiqama 2009-2022 10
5 Jarryd Hayne 2008, 2017-2018 8

Top points scorers

# Name Career Points Tries Goals Field Goals
1 Wes Naiqama 2006-2014 132 7 52 0
2 Brandon Wakeham 2019-2022 66 1 31 0
3 Akuila Uate 2006-2018 56 14 0 0
4 Suliasi Vunivalu 2017-2019 50 12 1 0
5 Apisai Koroisau 2013-2022 46 1 21 0

Competitive record

The table below shows Fiji's all-time international rugby league record as of 5 November 2023.[3] They have been participating in International fixtures since 1992.[4]

Country Matches Won Drawn Lost Win % For Aga Diff
 American Samoa 1 1 0 0 100% 16 14 +2
 Australia 7 0 0 7 0% 24 378 –354
Australian Aboriginies 1 1 0 0 100% 21 20 +1
 Canada 1 1 0 0 100% 26 12 +14
 Cook Islands 13 7 1 5 53.85% 349 219 +130
 England 4 0 0 4 0% 22 196 –174
England England Knights 1 1 0 0 100% 44 8 +36
 France 2 2 0 0 100% 62 18 +44
 Great Britain 1 0 0 1 0% 4 72 –68
 Ireland 2 2 0 0 100% 62 28 +34
 Italy 2 2 0 0 100% 98 14 +84
 Lebanon 4 2 0 2 50% 118 118 0
 Māori 1 0 0 1 0% 12 32 –20
 New Zealand 2 1 0 1 50% 22 26 -4
New Zealand New Zealand XIII 1 1 0 0 100% 34 16 +18
 Niue 2 1 0 1 50% 34 38 –4
 Papua New Guinea 15 5 0 10 33.33% 251 353 –102
Rotuma Rotuma 1 1 0 0 100% 32 12 +20
 Russia 1 1 0 0 100% 38 12 +26
 Samoa 12 8 0 4 66.67% 274 184 +90
 Scotland 2 1 0 1 50% 46 32 +14
 South Africa 1 1 0 0 100% 52 6 +46
 Tonga 13 5 1 7 38.46% 221 296 –75
 United States 1 1 0 0 100% 58 12 +46
 Wales 1 1 0 0 100% 72 6 +66
Total 92 46 2 44 50% 1992 2122 –130

Rugby League World Cup

World Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L D
United Kingdom 1995 Group stage 6/10 3 1 2 0
United KingdomIrelandFrance 2000 Group stage 12/16 3 1 2 0
Australia 2008 Semi-finals 4/10 4 2 2 0
EnglandWales 2013 Semi-finals 4/14 5 2 3 0
AustraliaNew ZealandPapua New Guinea 2017 Semi-finals 4/14 5 4 1 0
England 2021 Quarter-Finals 6/16 4 2 2 0
(TBD) 2026 qualified
Total 0 Titles 4/13 24 12 12 0

Four Nations

Four Nations record
Year Round Position GP W L D
EnglandFrance 2009 Not Invited
AustraliaNew Zealand 2010 Failed to Qualify
EnglandWales 2011 Not Invited
AustraliaNew Zealand 2014 Failed to Qualify
EnglandScotland 2016 Not Invited
Total 0 Titles 0/5 0 0 3 0

Pacific Cup

Pacific Cup record
Year Round Position GP W L D
New Zealand 1992 Group stage 9/10 4 1 3 0
Fiji 1994 Second Place 2/10 6 4 2 0
New Zealand 1997 Group stage 5/6 3 0 2 1
New Zealand 2004 Group stage 4/6 2 1 1 0
New Zealand 2006 Second Place 2/6 3 2 1 0
Papua New Guinea 2009 Semi-finals 3/5 2 1 1 0
Total 0 Titles 6/12 20 9 10 1

Other competitions

Fiji have also participated in:

IRL Rankings

  • v
  • t
  • e
Official rankings as of 21 December 2023
Rank Change Team Pts %
1 Steady  Australia 100.00
2 Steady  New Zealand 91.00
3 Increase 1  England 74.00
4 Decrease 1  Samoa 70.00
5 Steady  Tonga 54.00
6 Steady  Papua New Guinea 50.00
7 Steady  Fiji 49.00
8 Increase 1  France 24.00
9 Decrease 1  Lebanon 24.00
10 Increase 3  Cook Islands 22.00
11 Decrease 1  Serbia 19.00
12 Increase 6  Netherlands 17.00
13 Increase 1  Italy 15.00
14 Increase 5  Malta 15.00
15 Increase 1  Greece 14.00
16 Decrease 4  Ireland 14.00
17 Decrease 6  Wales 13.00
18 Decrease 3  Jamaica 10.00
19 Decrease 2  Scotland 9.00
20 Increase 8  Ukraine 7.00
21 Increase 6  Czech Republic 7.00
22 Decrease 1  Germany 6.00
23 Increase 10  Philippines 6.00
24 Increase 5  Poland 6.00
25 Increase 1  South Africa 5.00
26 Decrease 4  Chile 5.00
27 Increase 4  Kenya 0.00
28 Increase 6  Norway 4.00
29 Decrease 6  Nigeria 4.00
30 Decrease 6  Ghana 4.00
31 Decrease 6  Brazil 4.00
32 Decrease 12  Turkey 3.00
33 Increase 4  United States 3.00
34 Increase 1  Bulgaria 3.00
35 Decrease 5  Cameroon 2.00
36 Increase 2  Montenegro 2.00
37 Decrease 5  Spain 2.00
38 Increase 6  Japan 1.00
39 New entry  Albania 1.00
40 Decrease 4  Colombia 1.00
41 Increase 6  El Salvador 1.00
42 New entry  North Macedonia 1.00
43 Decrease 1  Morocco 1.00
44 Decrease 3  Sweden 0.00
45 Steady  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.00
46 Decrease 3  Canada 0.00
47 New entry  Niue 0.00
48 Decrease 9  Solomon Islands 0.00
49 Decrease 1  Belgium 0.00
50 Decrease 10  Hungary 0.00
51 Decrease 5  Vanuatu 0.00
52 Decrease 3  Argentina 0.00
53 Decrease 3  Denmark 0.00
54 Decrease 3  Latvia 0.00
55 New entry  Estonia 0.00
Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT

See also

  • Sports portal

References

  1. ^ "Fiji vs. PNG 2015 Melanesian Cup". Nrl.com. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Exciting rookie duo headline talented Fiji Pacific Championships squad". NRL. 6 Oct 2023. Retrieved 6 Oct 2023.
  3. ^ "Head to Head". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Fiji Head to Head". rugbyleagueproject. Retrieved 29 October 2023.

External links

  • Google-Video
  • Fiji Rugby League Fans Forums - RugbyLeague.org
  • 2008 Rugby League World Cup Site
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