Western Australian rugby continues to build international connections and development pathways with one of its own set to compete on the global stage.
Peni Naqau - a young winger who progressed through the RugbyWA Academy to the Western Force Academy, and plays community rugby in the Fortescue Premier Grade rugby for Southern Lions - has been selected to compete in the 2026 Coral Coast Sevens in Fiji with the Chennai Bulls Select side.
The Coral Coast Sevens, held from 15–17 January at Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, is one of the Pacific region’s premier annual Sevens tournaments, attracting elite teams from Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, North America and beyond. Naqau will line up alongside four Indian national team players and local Fijian talent as part of the Chennai Bulls squad.
The Chennai Bulls are a professional Rugby Sevens franchise from India’s Rugby Premier League (RPL), a visionary competition founded to elevate the sport in India and build a long-term rugby ecosystem there. The Bulls won the inaugural RPL title in 2025, showcasing the rapid development of a franchise-backed model with global ambition.
Naqau’s inclusion in the Chennai Bulls Select side reflects more than an individual opportunity - it underscores RugbyWA’s growing connection with AVID Sports, the owners of the Chennai Bulls, and the implementation of RugbyWA’s Asian Engagement Strategy. This strategic focus is designed to build sustainable relationships across the Asia–Pacific region, creating pathways for players, coaches, officials, and commercial partners through shared competition and development opportunities, expanding the reach and impact of Rugby Union.
For Naqau, competing at the Coral Coast Sevens offers invaluable experience against top-tier Sevens talent in a festival of rugby recognised for its intensity and quality. The tournament provides a platform not only to test and accelerate his own development, but also to showcase the calibre of WA rugby products on an international stage - further linking community pathways with elite-level competition.
As Western Australia’s rugby ecosystem strengthens its international footprint, opportunities like these demonstrate how strategic engagement, global relationships and elite performance pathways can align to benefit local players and enrich the broader game.
