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RFC Los Angeles have booked an historic match against the Fijian Drua. The preseason contest will take place on Friday, January 24th, at Churchill Park in Lautoka. It’s the first time a Major League Rugby side will have taken the field opposite a team from Super Rugby.
Both lineups are sure to feature international talent. The Drua are stacked with Fijian internationals. LA have eight players with Super Rugby experience on their new roster, most notably Argentina scrumhalf Gonzalo Bertranou and ex-Wallabies and Manu Samoa flyhalf Christian Leali’ifano.
A quarter-final loss to the Blues ended the 2024 campaign for the Drua, who finished in 7th spot overall during the Super Rugby regular season. LA were last in the Western Conference and second-from-bottom overall in Major League Rugby, but have made a number of significant off-season signings and brought in ex-Wallabies flanker Steve Hoiles as Director of Rugby.
LA CEO Pete Sickle thanked the Drua for the opportunity:
“As a new franchise in a relatively new competition, we are honored to share a Super Rugby Pacific Pitch in Fiji, a beautiful country with a passionate rugby community.
“For our players and our fans, this momentous preseason fixture reflects the substantial growth our franchise has achieved in its first twelve months. We hope this fixture will inspire enduring traditions between the two clubs and the two countries.”
