Fijiana Drua have completed an incredible unbeaten debut Super W season by beating the NSW Waratahs 32-26 in a thrilling final in Melbourne.
The seesawing, high quality match was a fitting end to the competition and the Drua’s win denied NSW the title for the first time in Super W history.
NSW leaned on its set-piece strengths to frequently trouble the Fijians but the Drua’s fast and flamboyant style won the day in a six tries to three victory.
Watch every game of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, streaming ad free, live and on demand only on Stan Sport. Sign up for your free seven day trial!
Vitalina Naikore (Drua) and Natalie Delamere (Waratahs) both scored hat-tricks and the fulltime whistle sparked jubilant scenes at AAMI Park.
“It’s more than just a game to these girls,” Drua lock Jade Coates told Stan Sport’s Tim Horan.
“It’s years of hard work and dedication, sacrifice. It means a lot more than a game of rugby, I can tell you that. This is history for us and a game we’ll never forget.
READ MORE: Your Ultimate Guide to the Fury vs Whyte blockbuster
READ MORE: Tyson Fury’s father branded an ‘idiot’ after wading in
READ MORE: Expert predictions for Tyson Fury-Dillian Whyte fight
“This has created a pathway for girls and women playing rugby in Fiji. This is the start of something and we’re only going to go up from here.”
On the flipside, the tears flowed among the NSW players as they experienced the unfamiliar feeling of being in the loser’s circle.
“This hurts,” Waratahs captain Grace Hamilton said, while piling praise on the Fijians in a classy speech.
“We will learn from this and we’ll be back bigger and stronger.”
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
Australian rugby greats share classic stories and relive major controversies on Stan Sport’s Glory Days series
