Fijian Drua boss Mark Evans has criticized Rugby Australia (RA) for the women’s team’s travel schedule ahead of their Super Rugby Women’s semi-final on Sunday, calling the itinerary “inequitable” in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.
Currently, the Drua women’s team is set to arrive in Brisbane on Saturday, just a day before their semi-final clash against the Reds at Ballymore Stadium. Evans also warned that if they advance to the grand final the following Saturday, their preparation could be severely impacted.
Under tournament regulations, RA covers accommodation for a maximum of three nights for the Drua’s away games. Evans expected a “sensible” itinerary where the team would arrive on Friday and leave on Monday, but instead, they were scheduled to land on Saturday. Additionally, their return flight to Suva has been delayed, potentially leaving them with just one home training session before departing for Sydney on Thursday for the final.
RA’s planning was complicated by the competition’s final standings, which were only confirmed on March 30. However, Evans criticized the lack of contingency plans and expressed frustration over RA’s refusal to fly the team in earlier.
“I find it extraordinary. They claim it’s due to budget constraints,” he said.
“I know times are tough, but this is a multimillion-dollar organization. Are you seriously saying you can’t afford one extra night? This is a final.
“They said, ‘There are your three nights,’ and I said, ‘You want us to arrive on Saturday and have just 24 hours before the match?’
“That’s not how you prepare for finals football. To hide behind the word ‘maximum’ is extremely disingenuous.
“If we win, our preparation is totally compromised. We’ll be back in Sydney on Thursday to play the Waratahs or the Force, and I doubt they’ll have traveled on two international flights within five days before their match. It’s not fair.”
In response, RA stated that the travel arrangements align with competition guidelines and previous precedents set in Super Rugby Women’s fixtures, where teams have often flown in the day before matches, including trips to Fiji and Perth.
“Rugby Australia believes that the Drua arriving in Brisbane the morning before the game is sufficient from both a logistics and high-performance perspective,” an RA statement read.
“There were no available return flights the day after the match, so Rugby Australia has offered to cover additional recovery and preparation costs while the team remains in Brisbane,” added RA general manager of women’s rugby Jilly Collins.
The Fijian Drua men’s team also recently raised concerns about travel arrangements. Ahead of their February match against the Hurricanes in New Zealand, the team landed just before midnight—16 hours before kick-off—and, unable to find their booked transport, had to pile into the back of a truck meant for their luggage.
Meanwhile, Super Rugby Women’s ladder leaders, the NSW Waratahs Women, will host the Western Force in the second semi-final at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
