INVESTING in sports infrastructure and youth programs is seen as key to Fiji\u2019s social and economic future, with clear inclusion plans.<\/p>\n
The Drua Foundation\u2019s youth academy aims for gender equality by 2029, with 180 boys and girls equally represented across six streams in alignment with there programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cGender equality and inclusion are very important to the Drua Foundation. We have a clear vision and pathway ahead of us,\u201d said Shane Hussein, the Fijian Drua Head of Commercial and Marketing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are gradually expanding from one stream to two. We\u2019ll focus on boys first, then introduce a third stream in 2026, followed by our first cohort of girls in 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim now is to do this sustainably. You must first ensure the pathway is clear and secure for the boys, given the large talent pool and existing systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirls\u2019 rugby is very popular, with increasing participation, though it\u2019s still relatively new.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said by 2027, the talent pool will have grown considerably, making it the perfect time to launch the first girls\u2019 stream.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering this, by 2029, there will be three boys\u2019 streams and three girls\u2019 streams in the Drua Academy, each with 30 students.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInfrastructure investments, such as dormitories, are planned to support weekend camps and ensure privacy and dignity, especially for girls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hussein added: \u201cThat totals 90 students per gender, so 180 children are involved in the Drua Academy, talented boys and girls in equal numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have achieved gender equality by 2029, which is not far off.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key is to build this pathway sustainably, avoiding funding shortages by overstretching ourselves. Funding, after all, is a crucial factor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would love to do everything at once, but we simply can\u2019t,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This strategy aligns with growing participation in girls\u2019 rugby and aims to build a strong, sustainable talent pipeline.<\/p>\n
The Drua Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunity and change in Fiji. Their work spans rugby development, health and education, and social outreach and inclusivity.<\/p>\n
Through strategic initiatives and community partnerships, they create and deliver programs that make a genuine difference for Fijian schoolchildren, families, communities, and future Fiji rugby stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"INVESTING in sports infrastructure and youth programs is seen as key to Fiji\u2019s social and economic future, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377457,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,16553,29734,41816,760,85,9963],"class_list":{"0":"post-377456","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-development","11":"tag-empowerment","12":"tag-equality","13":"tag-rugby","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-youth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}