Sisters are doing it for themselves... and the entire nation of Fiji

No two roads to the World Cup are the same and for Fiji's Taina Naividi it was a dream that almost felt out of reach after she ruptured her ACL for a second time in the days leading up to the 2025 NRLW grand final.

Amid the despair of missing the decider and staring down another long rehab journey, the 25-year-old held the Bulikula close to her heart and used that goal to spur her on.

Through hours of hard work and determination, Naividi got back on the paddock in Round 5 of the NRLW season and is now making history as part of the first Fiji women's side to progress to the World Cup finals.

“You're representing a whole country. You're representing girls that wish they could be here and little kids who wish they could be a part of this,” Naividi said.  

“So it’s way bigger than us.” 

Having made her Test debut in 2024 and with 31 NRLW games under her belt, Naividi has been asked to take on more of a leadership role with her young Bulikula teammates.

“At the start, it was challenging,” Naividi told NRL.com. 

“I think obviously back at clubland I've got so many leaders around me and I take in what they say.

“So just being a leader here at the at camp is such a different level of footy for me, but it's been great.

“I think I'm able to bring what I've learned back at clubland and bring it in here. 

“It's been really good. The girls are amazing and they've adjusted and adapted well to the coaching style which has been really cool.” 

Not content with simply making the semis, Fiji will now look to take the game up to a Jillaroos squad featuring a host of Naividi's Roosters teammates, including Isabelle Kelly, Jess Sergis and Tarryn Aiken.

“I expect them to be everything that they always are, [which is] to be explosive players," she said.

“Obviously you’ve got to respect them, they’re unreal in their own game and it's definitely going to be a challenge but I'm up for it and I'm excited to play against them.”  

For the Fijian side, this week will be all about their preparation and looking to replicate their courageous Round 1 showing when they pushed the Kiwi Ferns to the limit in an 18-12 loss.

“Coming into the next week, I hope we can just get our 'one percenters' right and do everything that will put our best foot forward for the team,” Naividi said. 

"It's definitely going to be hard but I think that's just when we have to stick to our game plan and really work on ourselves and hopefully we'll get the job done.

“I think we've all come from different paths, but the girls are unreal and we've all just gelled so well together.  

“You know the people in our village, girls in our village, boys in our village would love to have this opportunity so this all goes back to them.

"And the sacrifices all our parents made, our grandparents made to get us to where we are today.  

“I think it's going to take me a second to really just adjust and take it all in. But I'm so grateful for everyone and all the support we've been receiving."