Why Fiji’s Nations Championship ‘home’ games are being played in the UK

Fiji are playing their designated Nations Championship home matches in the United Kingdom because their national stadium is not currently up to the competition’s required standard. Their UK-based run starts against Wales in Cardiff, followed by fixtures with England in Liverpool and Scotland in Edinburgh.

The arrangement is also tied to wider practical and financial considerations. Fiji hope the revenue and profile from these matches can support plans for a 25,000-seat stadium in Suva on recently acquired land, although that remains an ambition rather than a completed project.

Cardiff is being framed as more than a neutral workaround. Match organisers plan to add Fijian cultural elements around the Wales fixture, including performers and a village-style fan area, as Fiji try to give supporters a sense of home despite the match being staged far from Suva.

On the field, Fiji enter the Wales game with strong recent credentials: they are ranked ninth, above 11th-placed Wales, and won 24-19 on their last visit to Cardiff in November 2024. Acting head coach Senirusi Seruvakula has selected a powerful squad featuring players from Fiji Drua as well as Europe and Japan, including Semi Radradra, Josua Tuisova and Salesi Rayasi.