Laqeretabua named in Fiji squad for World Cup

Saracens Women are thrilled that wing Rachel Laqeretabua has been called up for the Fijian World Cup squad.

The winger was a regular in the starting line-up last season and is a proven try-scorer in the Premier15s. Since joining from Richmond in 2019, she has made 18 appearances for Saracens and recently re-signed ahead of the new season.

Laqeretabua and her Fijian teammates face tough encounters with England, South Africa and France in the group stages, opening their tournament with a clash against the Red Roses.

Head Coach Senirusi Seruvakula has selected a squad that consists of a majority of players who play local provincial rugby, although six of the squad play overseas. The squad will be captained by Sereima Leweniqila, with 15 of the players having been a part of the Fijiana Drau side that won the Super W Championship this year.

Speaking after announcing his squad, Seruvakula admitted that it had been a challenge to select his squad and feels that they will continue to develop as they play on the world stage.

“It was so hard to select the best 32 players going to the Rugby World Cup. I had discussions with the other coaches as it was important to understand their thoughts and did a thorough review of all our matches before we made our final selections. A lot of girls have stepped up as far as their performance is concerned. These girls have experience playing at the international level, they just need the confidence to play on the world stage."