[Source: rugby.com.au]

The Flying Fijians and Wallabies will compete for the Vuvale Bowl, which will be presented to the winners by the Prime Ministers of Australia and Fiji next Sunday.

Prime Ministers, Sitiveni Rabuka and Anthony Albanese will attend next week’s Test in Newcastle which has been viewed by both as an opportunity to deepen relations, both personally and between the two nations.

Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh says they’re delighted to welcome Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Rabuka to Newcastle to watch the two national teams battle for the Vuvale Bowl.

Waugh says the meeting of the Prime Ministers at the Wallabies-Fiji Test to celebrate the game is a powerful statement of the diplomatic, economic and cultural bonds Australia and Fiji share through rugby.

In a statement Albanese says he’s honoured to welcome his friend, the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, to Australia next week.

Albanese says he was with the PM Rabuka only a few weeks ago, and reiterated the importance of their strong economic, security and people-to-people relationships with Fiji.

However,he goes on to say that for 80-odd minutes in next week that friendship will become a very competitive one, as they watch Fiji take on the Wallabies.

Prime Minister Rabuka says he looks forward to attending the match next week and standing in support of our national team.

Rabuka also says that sSport is a powerful tool of diplomacy that continues to strengthen our renewed and elevated Vuvale Partnership with Australia and unites our people through shared passion and respect.”

Fiji and Australia previously competed for the men’s Kava Bowl, as it was then named, which was first presented to Australia following their successful tour to Fiji in 1984.

Rugby Australia later gifted the bowl to Ilivasi Tabua, the Fiji-born flanker who represented the Wallabies at the 1995 World Cup.

Tabua has since returned the bowl to the Fijian Rugby Union, who agreed for it become the prize between the two nations once again under the new name ‘Vuvale’ – translating from Fijian to mean ‘my home is your home.’

The Vuvale Bowl is also contested by the Wallaroos and Fijiana.

Australia currently hold the women’s Vuvale Bowl following their 43-7 win at HFC Stadium in Suva on May 3.

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