The Fiji Water Flying Fijians have set up camp in Liverpool in anticipation of their second match of the Nations Championship, scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The team held their first training session today, beginning with a gym session to shake off the weekend’s travel and match fatigue, before shifting focus to the challenge ahead – meeting England on what is technically Fijian home soil, as the Nations Championship sees Fiji hosting its July fixtures in the United Kingdom.
The Flying Fijians will be without the services of Semi Radradra and Tim Hoyt, who both sustained injuries during the opening match against Wales that have ruled them out of the remainder of the tournament.
Head Coach Senirusi Seruvakula acknowledged areas requiring improvement following the 39-24 loss to Wales in Cardiff.
“We were slow in areas of the match, and we will be working on those areas this week as we prepare for the match against England,” shared Seruvakula.
“We need to be smart in the way we deliver our way of rugby and finding a balance heading into the next match,” he added.
The two teams scheduled for this exciting fixture of rugby at the home of Everton FC are ranked below the top five teams in the current World Rugby Rankings. England sits in sixth position, while Fiji is the ninth-ranked team in the world.
Following round one of the Nations Championship, Wales leads the points table for the Northern Hemisphere teams, while South Africa – who defeated England over the weekend by 45 points to 21 at Ellis Park – sits in first position for the Southern Hemisphere teams with five points each. Fiji and England sit at the bottom of their respective hemispheres in the competition standings.
Saturday’s match will be a landmark occasion for both teams, as they meet for the first time at Hill Dickinson Stadium – the home of Everton Football Club. The venue, known primarily for football and more recently for hosting rugby league’s Magic Weekend, will stage its first-ever international Test match in recorded history, adding an extra layer of significance to the fixture.
Despite Liverpool’s strong football and rugby league traditions, ticket sales indicate significant interest in the union clash, with fans eager to witness the Flying Fijians’ trademark flair at one of the UK’s newest stadiums.
Fiji will head into the match anticipating a strong performance from England, who boast a formidable record against the Fijians with ten wins from eleven encounters. However, Fiji secured a historic maiden victory over England in 2023 – a landmark 30-22 win at Twickenham – and will be determined to repeat that feat.
The match kicks off at 2:10 PM BST. Fiji’s July campaign concludes with a fixture against Scotland at Murrayfield on July 18.