Suva, Fiji – Friday, 21 November 2025 – Oceania Rugby, in partnership with UN Women, Fiji Rugby Union (FRU), the Australian Government through Pacific Aus Sports, and the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls programme, is proud to announce the release of the official trailer for Breaking Ground and confirm that the documentary will premiere in Suva on Tuesday, 25 November 2025.
The premiere coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, highlighting the documentary’s central message: the power of sport—especially women’s rugby—to challenge harmful norms, elevate women’s voices, and drive positive change across communities.
While the premiere will be a private screening for selected guests and partners, the Suva event will be officially opened by the Honourable Sashi Kiran, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection. A brief panel discussion will follow, featuring Ms Shamima Ali of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Olympic medallist and Fijiana 7s Captain Ms Rusila Nagasau, connecting the documentary’s themes to broader conversations on gender equality, ending violence against women and girls, and the role of sport in driving social change. The full documentary is scheduled for broadcast release in early 2026, followed by community-based screenings across Fiji and the Pacific to ensure wider access and engagement.The newly released trailer offers the first glimpse into the remarkable journeys of Fijiana trailblazers, including Rusila Nagasau, Asinate Serevi, Bitila Tawake, Carletta Yee, and Timaima Ravisa, alongside rugby legend Waisale Serevi. Central to the story is the inspiring father–daughter duo of Waisale and Asinate Serevi, whose shared advocacy reinforces the call for greater investment, opportunity, and visibility for women and girls in rugby.
The trailer revisits iconic achievements—from the Fijiana’s historic bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to the Fijiana Drua’s dominance in Australia’s Super W competition—illustrating the growing pathways for women in rugby and the profound community impact of increased participation.
At its heart, Breaking Ground is a celebration of rugby’s ability to influence social change. It showcases programs such as Get Into Rugby Plus (GIR Plus), which embed values of respect, inclusion, and equality to help prevent violence against women and girls and empower young people across Fiji. The documentary explores FRU’s progress in expanding opportunities for women and girls in rugby while underscoring the ongoing investment needed to achieve genuine gender equality in sport.
Sheridan Graham-Tupaea, Women’s Rugby Programs Manager at Oceania Rugby, said: “Breaking Ground represents the collective effort of so many people who believed in the importance of telling this story. For us at Oceania Rugby, it was essential to create a platform where these incredible women could share their journeys in their own words. We also acknowledge the pioneers who came before them—those women who carved pathways with little recognition and made it possible for this generation to live out their dreams on and off the field. Their challenges, their courage, and their triumphs deserve to be seen and celebrated. This documentary honours not only how far they’ve come, but also the communities, families, and teammates who have walked alongside them. We hope it inspires the next generation of young girls across the Pacific to see themselves in these stories and know that rugby has a place for them.”
Frank Puletua, General Manager of Oceania Rugby, added: “The completion of this documentary reflects the significant collaboration between Oceania Rugby, UN Women, and the Australian Government, as well as the sustained work undertaken across our programmes in recent years. We are pleased to reach this milestone and to highlight the collective progress being made to strengthen women’s rugby in Fiji and the wider region. Breaking Ground provides an opportunity to share these developments with our stakeholders and demonstrate the impact that targeted investment, structured pathways, and strategic partnerships can have on women and girls in sport throughout the Pacific.”
Alison Davidian, Representative for its Fiji Multi-Country Office, said:
“Breaking Ground captures the leadership, determination, and resilience of Fijian women and girls who are transforming their communities and challenging the norms that enable violence. It is wonderful to see the pure joy of sport - and the pride of representing your country - shine through in every story, reminding us that talent, passion, and potential are not gendered. As we mark the start of the 16 Days of Activism, this documentary is a powerful call to create safe, respectful, and equal spaces for all women and girls, on and off the field. UN Women is proud to partner with Oceania Rugby and the Fiji Rugby Union, and we extend our deep appreciation to our Pacific Partnership donors, the Australian Government and the European Union, whose investment is helping to prevent violence, expand opportunities, and ensure that women and girls across the Pacific can participate fully and lead with confidence.”
The Suva premiere will offer an exclusive first look at these powerful stories, including the journey of emerging young talent such as Hadassah Adimaitoga Uluilakeba, the evolution of the GIR Plus program, and the enduring legacy of women’s rugby in Fiji.
Breaking Ground is more than a documentary—it is a tribute to resilience, a platform for advocacy, and a rallying call to continue supporting women’s rugby as a catalyst for empowerment and social transformation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally. The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, including rugby league, rugby union, netball, football, AFL, cricket and Olympic/Paralympic sports, with funding split evenly between women and men. PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s ‘That Pacific Sports Show’ and ABC Radio’s ‘Fresh Off the Field’. The high-performance outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific. For more information about PacificAus Sports and its initiatives, visit www.pacificaussports.gov.au and follow PacificAus Sports on Facebook.
Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (Pacific Partnership)
The Pacific region has some of the highest rates of violence against women recorded in the world – twice the global average with an estimated two in every three Pacific women impacted by gender-based violence. Along with high rates of violence – a grave human rights violation - women and girls in the Pacific region experience constant and continual inequalities including low levels of participation in decision-making, limited economic opportunities, and restricted access to critical services and rights.
The Pacific Partnership brings together governments, civil society organisations, communities, and other partners to promote gender equality, prevent violence against women and girls, and increase access to quality response services for survivors. In Phase II, the USD17.0 million partnership is funded primarily by the Government of Australia (USD 8.8m), and the European Union (USD 8.2m), and coordinated by UN Women and the Pacific Community (SPC), in strategic partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
It builds on the achievements of Phase I and wide-ranging regional and national partnership and initiatives on gender equality and ending violence against women and girls.
