Moana Pasifika delivered a composed and clinical performance to defeat the Fijian Drua 26–40 at Churchill Park, ending the Drua’s long-standing unbeaten home record in Lautoka in the opening round of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Benefiting from new competition rules encouraging attacking play, Moana combined strong forward dominance with disciplined, controlled backline execution, led by captain Miracle Fai’ilagi’s two first-half tries and accurate game management from playmaker Patrick Pellegrini, whose kicking—including key 50/22s—kept pressure on the hosts.
Although the Drua mounted a second-half push to close the margin, errors inside their own territory proved costly, allowing Moana to seal the match late through a try to replacement Ofa Tauatevalu, marking a significant away win to start their campaign.
