By Alipate Pareti
The Fijian Cup Championships offers a refreshing and unique way mix of sports with fun, family and authentic Fijian experiences.
The tournament was hosted in the famous rugby town of Sigatoka, where locals are known as amongst the most fun and welcoming in the whole of Fiji, so I had good expectations walking through the gates of Lawaqa Park.
Those expectations were soon met with music booming from the stadium as I entered the ground. The in-house tournament DJ who travelled from New Zealand for the championship, was already working his magic, mixing Fijian classics songs like “Toso mai matasawa” and “Na jule ni Hanahana” to get the crowd ready for the day.
Two DJs- DJ Gareth Steven aka GAT and DJ Seymore provided the soundtrack over the three weekends, and one of my favorite moments was seeing the crowd respond to the music by starting an early morning dance party. The old scoreboard provided a nice dance platform for a few young Fijian boys. Well, as they say, “Only in Fiji!”
An estimated 1000 international visitors from Australia, New Zealand, and other regional countries such as Vanuatu attended the games this year. These teams also brought in their families and supporters who came to experience quality sports and Fijian attractions.
There was lots of extras. Organisers handed out free custom sunglasses to the first 1000 spectators to enter the gates; a great souvenir to remember the occasion. There were also huge bouncing castles available for kids to enjoy with their friends under the watchful eyes of the parents. This is a win/win for the parents if you ask me.
I met a man who was wearing a freshly woven coconut hat at the stadium and I told him that he was truly representing the Fijian way with his traditional sun hat. His name was David Habib and he came all the way from Brisbane, Australia with his whole family. His take on the event? “The tournament is pretty decent. The atmosphere is awesome and obviously being in Fiji, the weather is great. The people here are lovely, welcoming and really hospitable,” said Habibi.
The heat can be intense in Sigatoka so make sure to check out the local vendors outside the gates who will be selling warm roti curry parcels and fresh green coconuts, or as the locals call it “niu-bu”. Always remember to stay hydrated when you are in Fiji.
Here’s my first pro tip: Don’t be shy. Get to know and mingle with locals.
I met a group of ladies from Laselase Village, led by Mereseini Nasiga who brought their own ice coolers because the locals know green coconuts taste best when they are chilled. Before midday all their coconuts were sold out. “Today we have roti curry, fresh and pickled mangoes, fresh pineapples, niu-bu and home blended tropical juice. It’s been good today and we’ve made back enough money to help with our finances back home,” said Nasiga.
But before you walk out the gates, don’t be surprised when the aroma of smoked beef and braised lamb lure you. That’s probably coming from the big black truck that is parked just behind the pavilion. The Fiji Food Truck is renowned for some of the best chicken wraps ($10) and beef burgers ($15) in the country. Pro tip number 2: The price tags might be itchy but the taste of the food is top quality. You won’t be disappointed!
And since the event is held in Sigatoka, the municipal market is just a five- minute walk from the grounds. You will have many more fresh and affordable selections of tropical fruits and food parcels to choose from there. That is another great option. Pro tip number 3: Everything you need is close by. Sigatoka is a small town. Your next destination may just be a short walk away.
Remember this tournament is a hybrid tournament of different sporting codes, so you can choose to attend the Touch Rugby, Rugby 7s, Rugby League 9s or Oztag. If you are a crazy sports fan like me, feel free to attend and enjoy all three weekends of the games.
And for our international guests, the tournament organiser TourismHQ’s motto is “Just turn up at the airport ready for the time of your life”.
You can register the Fijian Cup 2025 at this link The Fijian Cup – The Ultimate Sport Experience in Fiji
