Although the Fiji Bati may have fallen short of the silverware in the inaugural Pacific Championships Bowl Challenge, the team can hold their heads high for the stunning performance they have given rugby league fans over the past 3 weeks here in Papua New Guinea. Fiji Bati coach, Wise Kativerata post match, hailed his boys for their outstanding performance, given the number of debutants that were fielded in this year’s international Rugby League Calendar. “We got a lot of young kids in the dressing room, and I said to them you gotta put your heads up. It’s a building block for the Fiji National Rugby League side. I can’t thank Tui [Kamikamica] for being a great leader for us in this team.” He said for the team, this is a good learning curve for them as they look to build for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Nine Bati debutants were bled during the course of the Pacific Championships Bowl Challenge held in Port Moresby, and Kaiverata is grateful for the experience these past 3 weeks. Fiji Bati Captain Tui Kamikamica said he was happy with the outcome of the Pacific champs and called for more international matches to be staged moving forward. “There’s heaps of talent in the Islands. Like imagine PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga. The more we can explore those islands and promote them to come and play more Rugby League.” Kamikamica said he is looking forward to more international matches, especially the Pacific Championships Bowl Challenge next year, which will most likely be hosted in Fiji next year.