Australian Country's representative touring side - Stockman Rugby - are deepening Pacific ties on and off the field during their first-ever tour to Fiji.
Coached by former Wallabies captain and current Brumbies assistant coach Ben Mowen, the "Stockies" offer a high performance and touring pathway to regional and rural players from across Australia's country unions.
Learn more about Stockman Rugby and the Australian Country pathway.
In partnership with Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports program, Rugby Australia and Fiji Rugby, Australian Country have embarked on a "Pacific Paradise" tour of Fiji following last week's warm-up clash with an Australian Police outfit (drawn 23-all).
Tuesday saw the Stockies go down 41-24 in a hard-fought contest to Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Rugby team at King Charles Park in Nadi.
“It was a tough and memorable start to our tour. Our team is made up of players from rural and regional Australia, and this visit has given us the chance to play matches like this — opportunities we wouldn’t normally have," Stockies captain Rob Puliuvea told reporters in Fiji.
"We’re grateful for the chance to connect with the RFMF and the Fijian community, and experiences like this make our tour truly special."
RFMF captain Meli Baivatu said it was a privilege to play against the visiting Australian side.
“We’re grateful for the tough match against our visiting Australian brothers. We learnt some valuable lessons which we’ll take forward as we prepare for the Sukuna Bowl,” Baivatu said.
Following the game, Baivatu was presented with a commemorative Stockman shield by Australia’s High Commissioner to Fiji, His Excellency Peter Roberts, as a token of appreciation for the match and the spirit of friendship between the two teams.
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PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally.
The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, including rugby league, rugby union, netball, football, AFL, cricket, and Olympic/Paralympic sports, with funding split evenly between women's and men's sports.
PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s That Pacific Sports Show and ABC Radio’s Fresh Off the Field.
The high-performance outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific.
