While travelling Super Rugby Pacific teams have struggled in Fiji, ACT Brumbies gun Rob Valetini can count on some support in the stands for the competition's first match in Ba.
The star Wallabies backrower will mark his 100th Super match on Saturday when the Brumbies face the Drua in Ba, in the north-west of the main island Viti Levu.
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The son of Fijian parents, Manueli and Finau, he's flying his family over from Melbourne to watch the milestone match and also hoping his big brother Kemu, a flyhalf, is selected by the Drua.
"My parents have made a lot of sacrifices in my life and I thought it would be nice to have it in Fiji and bring them over and have all my family there that are already in Fiji as well," said Valetini, who was rested from the Brumbies' last-gasp loss to Queensland last round.
"It will be nice to celebrate with them and hopefully I get to play against my brother as well so hopefully he gets picked."
With three wins from four games, the Brumbies are still top of the Super Rugby ladder but well aware of the challenge facing them in Fiji despite the Drua sitting ninth.
In 2025, coach Stephen Larkham opted to keep many of his star players back in Canberra but his young line-up became the first Australian team to win at match on Fijian soil.
"The boys are preparing well this week already and we're pretty hungry to get over the weekend and get into this game," Valetini said.
"We thought last year that the boys were able to prepare well, get the detail right and, I guess, go over there and do the job so that's been our main focus this week, our preparation."
The 27-year-old is fit and firing after his Wallabies-enforced break, and is eager to work his way into the year after a frustrating 2025 due to injury.
The two-time John Eales medallist missed the opening five rounds of Super Rugby, two of the three British and Irish Lions Tests, and had limited minutes in the other Tests.
"The past two seasons, I've got injured during pre-season so it was just good to get through a good pre-season and get the body right and build some games together," Valetini said.
"Last year was quite frustrating with all the injuries I was getting, so feeling good at the moment."
Valetini has been linked with a move to Japan after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. He acknowledged the "rumours" without revealing his plans.
"The next two years are really big for rugby in Australia and myself so I'm really just focused on my performances this year with the Brumbies and next year with the home World Cup," he said.
