Selestino Ravutaumada: Fijian Drua can be 'unstoppable'

Speedster Selestino Ravutaumada has an Olympic silver medal in his keeping and has made a Rugby World Cup quarter-final but the Fijian flyer isn’t satisfied.

The 25-year-old winger wants to see the Drua lift the Super Rugby Pacific trophy and feels if they can take their home form on the road they will be “unstoppable”.

They only lost once in seven home matches in 2024, taking the scalps of the Queensland Reds, the Crusaders and Melbourne Rebels among their haul.

They finished seventh on the ladder but fell to the eventual champions, the Blues, in week one of the finals.

A father of a young daughter and with another baby on the way, Ravutaumada said they needed to “play their hearts out” away as well as at home.

“The supporters are the same, the home games and away, it’s just the individual preparation and if we fix that up then we will be unstoppable,” Ravutaumada said.

“It feels too comfortable at home, especially knowing that your family, your mum and dad is going to be there, and when we played at home everyone played their hearts out and away it’s a bit different, the atmosphere is different.

“The goal is to make it to the finals and hopefully take the Cup home.”

Ravutaumada has packed plenty into his young career, also turning out for the Warriors in the NRL Nines in 2020 but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in his first match.

He switched codes back to his first love and since making his Super debut in 2022 has gone from strength to strength.

Ravutaumada was part of Fiji’s surge to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, where they lost to England, but helped eliminate the Wallabies in the pool stages with a historic 22-15 victory.

The teams will square off in a rematch in Newcastle in early July which he hopes to be a part of.

Ravutaumada also challenged for Olympic gold last year before the home side, led by superstar Antoine Dupont, triumphed in the final.

He said that 15-a-side was his priority and his future, having signed with French club Racing 92 following the Super season, but would consider a return to sevens if called upon.

“I’m always going to choose the 15 because I grew up playing it,” Ravutaumada said.

“I would like to play in the match against Australia this year.

“But if there’s a spot in the sevens on the big stage, like the World Cup or the Olympics, then I would like to play again.”

He underwent a shoulder reconstruction last year which will delay his Super Rugby Pacific start, including the Drua’s season-opener against the ACT Brumbies in Suva on February 15, and is eyeing a round-four return.