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sports1d ago
Fiji taking 'home' rugby matches 16,000km away and turning UK venues into island festivals
- Fiji will base its team 16,000 kilometers from home for the Nations Championship in July, playing three matches in the United Kingdom.
- As the home team, Fiji will face Wales, England and Scotland at Cardiff, Liverpool and Murrayfield respectively in July.
- The plan aims to relieve opponents from traveling to the Pacific while maximizing revenue at larger stadiums.
- Koli Sewabu, Fiji Rugby Union chief executive, said the fixtures will help invest more into grassroots rugby and the team’s growth.
- The Nations Championship pairs Six Nations sides with Rugby Championship teams plus Fiji and Japan, with July hosting the southern hemisphere teams’ games overseas.
- The article notes that the schedule also includes matches against Wales, England and Scotland in July as part of the tournament format.
- Cardiff’s 33,280-seat Cardiff City Stadium and Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium will host Fiji’s away games as openings for expanded venues.
- The arrangement is intended to create a festive atmosphere with Fijian music, food and entertainment at the matches.
- The Nations Championship will see the Six Nations squads travel south in July with finals in November at Twickenham.
- The move is described as supporting the continued growth and success of Fiji’s rugby program.
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