ABSTRACT
In the Pacific island country of Fiji, where men’s rugby enjoys immense popularity as a ‘national’ sport and a pinnacle of indigenous masculinity, a small community of women have actively pursued the game since the late 1980s. With limited institutional or community support, the development of the sport until recent years was largely attributed to the women’s own determination and sacrifice. In the last few years, the Fijiana, women’s national team, have made remarkable progress, which has paralleled their improved social standing and greater institutional support. Nevertheless, available resources remain limited, and they continue to face negative social sanctions from some sections of Fijian society. In this trying journey, qualifying for a Rugby World Cup (RWC) has been a primary goal for the Fijiana and the women’s rugby community - a goal still yet to be achieved. This chapter will (1) present a brief history of the women’s pursuit of the game under Fiji’s postcolonial conditions,(2) explore what it means to them to qualify for a RWC in this context and (3) examine the local and global relations of power - i.e., gender/sexual politics in their society and North-South disparity - that they are up against in achieving their dream of RWC qualification.
