Rugby vs. the World Challenge: Rugby vs. Netball

The Webb Ellis Cup was in Fiji for the third stop on the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour. DHL hosted its third ‘Rugby vs. the World Challenge’ with All Black prop John Afoa going up against Fiji’s netball star Maria Lutua.

The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour was in the beautiful South Pacific island nation of Fiji this week – a paradise that is passionate for Rugby and the third stop on this one-year, 15-country celebration of the sport.

Co-sponsor Land Rover started things off on the first of a three-day layover, taking Rugby’s most sought-after silverware to places it had never visited before, including Naqali and Naivuci, where Land Rover ambassador and legendary Fijian Rugby World Cup star, Viliame Satala, conducted coaching clinics with local children. “Inspiring the next generation of Rugby stars by giving them the opportunity to see the Webb Ellis Cup close up” is one of the goals of the company’s Least Driven Path activity. DHL couldn’t agree more!

On day two it was DHL’s turn to help promote the sport of Rugby and give some air time to the lesser known sport of Netball. It was the third ‘Rugby vs. the World Challenge’ – a fun-spirited fixture of the Trophy Tour that puts the sport of Rugby up against a local favorite. In Fiji, the Challenge saw New Zealand’s RWC 2011 winning prop John Afoa face local hero Maria Lutua of the Fiji Pearls – the island’s national netball team.

“It’s a lovely day here in Fiji – just hoping to get a few wins.” (All Black John Afao)

Rugby vs. Netball
After loads of fun in Japan and Australia – the first two stops on the Trophy Tour – the Rugby vs. Netball Challenge did not disappoint. Both challengers were obviously pumped for this unique test – a day of light-hearted competition in their otherwise intense training schedules.

Check out the gallery of images above to see some great shots of the action on a beautiful day at the Raiwaqa Rugby Club.

The first contest was a Rugby lineout challenge together with members of the Raiwaqa rugby team and the Fiji netball team. John’s experience in this demanding discipline made the difference, and the Kiwi took the first point after scoring 7 to Maria’s 3.

“Just close your eyes and throw the ball.” (Maria Lutua, giving John some friendly advice before the netball challenge)

For the second challenge, Maria had the advantage. The Fiji national team sharpshooter was fresh off a victory at the Pacific Netball Series – a win that booked Maria and the Fiji Pearls their ticket to the Netball World Cup in Sydney next year. Although Maria was forced to sweat a bit while John showed off surprising netball skills, Maria took the point after netting the ball 5 times to John’s 4 in a contest that required the two to shoot three balls at the net from five different points.

With the scored tied at one apiece, Maria and John moved to the final challenge, one in which neither had any experience: coconut husking. The challenge was simple, really. Who could husk four coconuts the fastest? In the end, burly John beat out his nimble opponent by a mere 19 seconds. Maria took the loss in stride – it was, after all, just fun and games!

“A long day in the sun here – very happy with the result.” (John Afao)

Rugby wins its second challenge in a row with a final score of Rugby 2 – Netball 1. The overall challenge now stands at Rugby 5 – The World 4.

It was another fantastic day and another win for the two sports John and Maria love.

Stay tuned for the highlight video of Rugby vs. Netball, coming soon on DHL’s YouTube channel.

Next up: Madagascar
The next stop on the Rugby World Cup World Tour is a three-day visit next week to Madagascar – one that includes the conclusion of the Confederation Africaine de Rugby (CAR) Division 1A, where Madagascar will take on Namibia at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo as part of the final round of African qualifiers for Rugby World Cup 2015.

Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour
The Trophy Tour runs until June 2015 and touches every Rugby playing continent. From Madagascar, the Webb Ellis Cup will make its way to South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, Hong Kong, China, United Arab Emirates, Canada, United States, Italy, Germany, Romania and France before returning to England for the beginning of the UK Trophy Tour.

Keep up with the Tour on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DHLRugby, Twitter at @DHL_Rugby and on the Sports Stream at DHL InMotion - and relive the fun in Japan and Australia on DHL's YouTube channel.