Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Olympic medallist signs with Drua after two-try debut for Flying Fijians

Fiji's Ponipate Loganimasi scores a try during the Pacific Nations Cup final rugby union match between Japan and Fiji at the Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka on September 21, 2024. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP) (Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)

Paris Olympics silver medallist Ponipate Loganimasi has signed with the Fijian Drua for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific season. Loganimasi showcased impressive skills during the 2024 HSBC SVNS Series, and the Drua are now “grateful” to welcome him to their club.

ADVERTISEMENT

Loganimasi had reportedly impressed at the 37th Fiji Bitter Nawaka 7s in February before being called into the national sevens squad. The 26-year-old was up to the task on the Series, and was later named in Team Fiji’s star-studded squad for the Olympic Games.

Fiji were the two-time defending Olympic men’s champions going into the sevens tournament, and they backed up that status with their improved style of play. They made the gold medal match but an Antoine Dupont masterclass saw France stand in first on the Olympic podium.

Loganimasi’s breakout year continued during World Rugby’s Pacific Nations Cup on the back of Fiji’s silver medal at Stade de France. Loganimasi debuted for the Flying Fijians in the Final against Eddie Jones’ Japan, and the outside back didn’t disappoint.

Loganimasi came on in the 56th minute as a replacement for left winger Ilaisa Droasse. With silverware on the line, Loganimasi’s sensational debut ensured the PNC title would go the way of the Flying Fijians, with the speedster crossing for a well-worked double.

Now, a new opportunity awaits with the former Fiji sevens ace penning a deal with the Drua for the 2025 season. With the Fijians finishing seventh on the ladder at the end of this year’s regular season, there’s a lot to be excited about as the Drua continue to build.

ADVERTISEMENT

“First of all I want to thank the Lord for another opportunity. I know it’s not a small opportunity, it’s a big one. A lot of kids in Fiji, they are dreaming of this,” Loganimasi said in a video that was shared on the Fijian Drua’s social media channels.

“To be given a chance and an opportunity, I’m so blessed so I want to thank the Almighty God and all my family at home and all my friends out there, so I want to thank them for giving me another chance, and the management for trusting me.

“Can’t wait to be with the boys.

“Was just telling jokes with (Iosefo) Masi, he was telling me, ‘What if you come and play with us in the Drua?’ I was like, ‘Man, I want to.’ Then he was like, ‘Okay, we’ll see’.”

With former head coach Mick Byrne leaving the Drua to take up the same role with the national team, the Super Rugby club needed to find a new person for the role. There was no better suitor for the position than Glen Jackson, who has made history by taking on the job.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jackson is the first person to referee, play and coach in Super Rugby. The new Zealander was played 60 matches for the Chiefs as a flyhalf over a five-year stint, and Jackson was also widely regarded as one of the southern hemisphere’s leading referees.

Under former coach Byrne, Jackson has served as an assistant coach of the Drua since 2022, but took up the new head coaching role in May of this year. After signing Loganimasi, Jackson spoke about how excited he is for the upcoming season.

“I think it means a lot for Fijian Drua,” Jackson said.

“It just shows the quality of players that we’re signing. I think, obviously, Loganimasi’s debut at 15s with the national team was unbelievable. We know how good he is on the sevens circuit and it just shows the quality of the young man to sign with our club, we’re very grateful.

“I think he’s gonna be an extremely positive new recruit for our club.”

HSBC SVNS Perth takes place on 24-26 January at HBF Park. Plan your ultimate rugby weekend in Western Australia with the help of flexible travel packages including tickets and accommodation. Buy Now or Find Out More.  

ADVERTISEMENT

England A vs Ireland A | Full Match Replay

HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Men's Day Three Highlights

HSBC SVNS Vancouver | Women's Day Three Highlights

"I would love to play with Siya Kolisi" | HSBC Life on Tour | Vancouver

Kubota Spears vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | JRLO 2024/2025 | Full Match Replay

Behind the Scenes with the Stars of the Kenya Rugby Sevens Team | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 7

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

3 Comments
A
Andrew Nichols 128 days ago

Flying Fijians...such lame lazy alliteration...anytime a nations name begins with F its sporting sides always get called "flying"

M
MakeOllieMathisAnAB 128 days ago

What would you call them?

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

A
AR 2 hours ago
Crusaders prepare for 'dangerous in all elements' Chiefs game-breaker

It was one of those casual work Zoom calls where somebody just haphazardly threw in "Asset Rescue Specialist " as if it was part of office gossip. And I was just like, cool, but I'm probably never going to need that. Fast forward a month, and I stared at my computer screen, horrified, having fallen for some fake Ledger update that wiped out my $330,000 wallet. Suddenly, that casual mention was the most important thing I'd ever heard in my life. I was paralyzed with panic. I felt like I'd just lost a small fortune-because I had-and the shame of it all kept me frozen. I was too embarrassed to admit what had happened and way too anxious to even know how to fix it. But then, that Zoom call came to mind. I remembered my colleague's offhand remark about Asset Rescue Specialist and thought, "Why not? What do I have to lose, other than everything? So, I dialed the number, and within seconds, the team was on it. They did not bat an eyelid as I told them my sad tale of wallet disaster. The calm, collected, and-professional-dare I say it-came through the phone so confidently, like I was talking to a group of crypto superheroes-outback, no capes, just serious recovery skills. What followed was an efficient flurry: they worked magic, got back my $330,000, and set me up with all-new security so I don't repeat that whole disaster. They didn't just fix it; they made sure I knew how to secure myself for the future. It was no more 'me', the guy whose definition of "security" includes crossing his fingers and hoping. Now I'm the guy who actually knows the difference between a seed phrase and a shopping list. It's funny, in retrospect: that Zoom call was the plot twist I never saw coming. Who knew a throwaway comment about a recovery service would prove to be my crypto lifeline? If only I'd known that was the important stuff back then! But, you know, better late than never! Thanks to Asset Rescue Specialist, I am back on track-not just regarding crypto investments, but way more security-cautious than I'd ever been before.

Lesson learned? Never skip those casual mentions of recovery services during work Zoom calls; you never know when you need to call upon them to save you from this or that costly mistake.

FOR MORE INFO:

Company: ASSET RESCUE SPECIALIST

WhatsApp:+ 1 9 0 3 5 5 9 1 7 3 3.

mail: assetrescuespecialist@qualityservice.com or

support@assetrescuespecialist.com.

Website info; https://assetrescuespecialist.com

1 Go to comments
b
bryan li wong 4 hours ago
Chiefs head coach apologises to midfielder on 50th appearance

HOW CAN I RECOVER MY LOST CRYPTO (BTC, USDT) investment.

It's very easy when you contact: Trojanhack@qualityservice.com

Hi Guys, I'm Bryan Li wong from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ok let me start this way.

Though At first i was very skeptical when a friend Davies Frank from Chicago Illinois told me about them and how they were able to help him recovered his Crypto Loss during the Covid 19 pandermic.

I was a victim of a Fake Forex Trading Guru Investment online in 2023 and i was so gullible to get scammed to the tone of 254,650 USDT. i believed them after seeing multiples of their trade result online. little did i know they were all scam and i was so foolish to fell for such stunt. i got depressed and my whole world was shattered as a result of my heavy mistakes.

I couldnt' withdraw my USDT profit from them. they came up with stories and they kept demanding for more and more from me and it was them i confirmed further they were syndicates.

it was such a terrible and ugly ordeals i went through.

After contacting TROJANHACK CYBER SECURITY COMPANY, i experienced a life changing recovery process, they were able to trace and recovered all for me within 4 days.

Their team are the best and very good at what they do. which if not could have been my life's greatest mishap. I am forever indebted to this reputable company (TROJANHACK CYBER SECURITY COMPANY) and i know there are thousands of people who are undergoing same situation as mine and for that reason i'd be listing their contact details once again which are as follows:

Email: Trojanhack@qualityservice.com

Whatsapp: +1 8 0 2 681 3837

Telegram: @Trojanhackqservice

1 Go to comments
D
Dominique Wilburn 4 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus names Springboks squad of 56 for March meet-up

It started with a dream—a dream of financial independence, of escaping the grind and securing a future for my family. Like many others, I was drawn to the world of cryptocurrency. The stories of people striking it rich with Bitcoin were everywhere, and I thought, why not me? That’s when I stumbled upon an online investment platform promising astronomical returns. I invested a substantial amount of my savings, believing I was on the path to financial freedom.But within weeks, everything fell apart. The platform vanished overnight. Emails bounced back, phone numbers were disconnected, and my funds were gone. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. The weight of my mistake was crushing I had not only lost my savings but also jeopardized my family’s future. I was drowning in guilt, anger, and despair, unsure of where to turn.That’s when I found Washington Recovery Pro. At first, I was skeptical. How could anyone recover money from anonymous Bitcoin scammers? But I was desperate, and I decided to give them a shot,from the moment I reached out, Washington Recovery Pro was different. They listened to my story with genuine empathy and assured me that they had helped countless others in my situation.They specialized in tracing cryptocurrency transactions, uncovering the identities of scammers, and working with international authorities to recover stolen funds. Their transparency gave me hope. Finally, the breakthrough came. They had traced my funds to a series of wallets and identified the individuals behind the scam. Through their network of legal and law enforcement partners, they initiated a recovery process.The day I received the news that a significant portion of my funds had been recovered was one of the happiest of my life. Washington Recovery Pro had not only given me back my money but also restored my faith in justice.Reach out to them Via..

 Email~WashingtonRecoveryPro@engineer.com WhatsApp ~‪+1 (903) 249‑8633‬ Telegram ~https://t.me/Washingtonrecoverypro

4 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Spain beat All Blacks Sevens again, Blitzboks win dramatic quarter-final Spain beat All Blacks Sevens again, Blitzboks win dramatic quarter
Search