The Fijian Drua have today announced that the team will base itself at the Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head, NSW, for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Having previously decided that the team would have to play all its 2022 Super Rugby Pacific matches in Australia and New Zealand due to border restrictions, the squad will now assemble at the Lake Ainsworth base this week.
Interim CEO of the Fijian Drua, Brian Thorburn said: “We needed to find a home base where the team could initially prepare over a 3-month period until the end of January 2022, which then could be used as a home base between Super Rugby Pacific matches during the 2022 season. Finding an environment where we could spend almost 8 months was a big challenge, but we’re very happy with where we’ve landed.”
“The Lake Ainsworth facility provides everything that we need. It has an excellent training field, a great gym and all the facilities needed to provide a professional environment for a Super Rugby team. Our players will stay in cottages on site, enjoy very high-quality dining facilities, with team rooms and coaches’ offices that are a great fit.”
Owned and operated by the NSW Government Office of Sport, Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre is one of the premier high performance training venues in NSW with a track record of hosting national, international and professional sporting teams. Located just minutes from the township of Lennox Head, the facility is adjacent to the ocean, and the beautiful Lake Ainsworth.
Thorburn added: “It’s just such a stunning part of the world, with a great climate, and being so close to the lake and ocean, makes it ideal for our players as a ‘home away from home’ for the 2022 season. We are one hour down the expressway from the Gold Coast, and a short 20 minutes from Byron Ballina Airport. I’d like to thank the management and executives of the Office of Sport, and the Minister for their welcoming approach. We leave Fiji this Thursday on Fiji Airways flight FJ1911 and we can’t wait to settle into our new home.”
