Home Turf, High Stakes: Fiji vs Scotland

July 12, 2025: Fiji vs Scotland – In a test match matchup spanning more than 40 years, the Flying Fijians will take against Scotland for the 13th time this afternoon at the HFC Bank Stadium in an attempt to change the course of history.

Since the two countries’ first meeting in September 1982, Scotland has won 10 of their 12 meetings, while Fiji has only won twice, in 1998 and 2017, both of which were played at home.

Scotland has dominated recent matches, decisively winning the last three tests:

Scotland 57–17 Fiji in 2024; Scotland 28–12 Fiji in 2022; Scotland 54–17 Fiji in 2018

The most recent victory for Fiji occurred in June 2017, when the team led by John McKee shocked Scotland in Suva with a score of 27–22.

Their only other victory before to that was the memorable 51–26 victory in 1998, which took place in the capital of Fiji and is still recalled for its flare and physicality.

The Flying Fijians are feeling more upbeat going into today’s match, despite their dismal record.

On match day 23, head coach Mick Byrne has selected a strong squad that includes both returning veterans and some intriguing new players.

Last Saturday, Fiji lost to Australia by a slim margin of 21–18 in Newcastle, a match that gave both players and supporters new hope.

The team is keen to recover and provide the home audience with something to celebrate, according to captain Tevita Ikanivere. We don’t care if it’s sunny or rainy. On the eve of the game, he stated, “We just want to play our best for our families and the fans.”

While Scotland has sent a younger team to Suva, they are still a well-trained and disciplined team led by Gregor Townsend, who played in Fiji in the 1990s and claims to have long appreciated the Fijian style.

With a number of players on the field who are kids of the Fijians who defeated Scotland in 1998, such as Salesi Rayasi, whose father Filipe Rayasi also wore the white jersey decades ago, and Haereiti Hetet, son of Joe Veitayaki, today’s game will also feel generational.

The atmosphere in Suva is anticipated to be electrifying as the Flying Fijians attempt to tie the series at 3–10 and finally defeat Scotland once more.

At 3 p.m., the game will start. Additionally, it will be webcast LIVE for $30FJD on FBC’s pay-per-view website, viti.plus.