Fijian Drua’s warm-up game against Western Force called-off

The warm-up game between Fijian Drua and Western Force has been cancelled due to border restrictions in place due to Covid-19.

The Drua squad is currently in Sydney preparing for the inaugural edition of the Super Rugby Pacific but are unable to travel in and out of Western Australia as the border reopening has once again been delayed due to a surge in Covid-19.

Chief executive officer Brian Thorburn in a statement expressed disappointment over the news but insisted that they will be continuing to prepare internally ahead of the Super Rugby competition.

“The Drua share the disappointment of fans and stakeholders about the cancellation and sincerely apologise to those planning a trip to Ballina this Sunday to watch the trial match,” the statement read.

“We will, instead, proceed with an internal practice match made up of two teams from the squad. Fans are welcome to watch this practice match at the Ballina Rugby Union ground. All visitors to the grounds are requested to follow NSW COVID-safety protocols at all times to protect themselves and others.

“The Fijian Drua thank all fans and stakeholders for their patience and understanding of these protocols, as the team continues preparations for our inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season.”