When Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson mentioned in this week’s press conference that his team had faced some hiccups on their road trip, few knew just how extreme those challenges had been.

Now, those details have come to light—revealing a chaotic travel ordeal that included missed transport, last-minute accommodations, and even players riding in a luggage truck.

Despite it all, the Drua delivered gutsy performances in Round 2 against the Hurricanes and Round 3 against the Waratahs, something Jackson is especially proud of.

“Yep, after a six-day turnaround with a heck of a lot of travel and hiccups, our boys were in great shape against a team with 10 or 11 Wallabies. We went from Napier to Wellington, then to Nadi, and back to Sydney. With all the rain, we had to leave earlier than planned—it was a lot of messing around. But for our team to come through and perform like they did in the second half shows the growth of what we’re trying to do as a squad.”

Jackson’s comments came before a report from the Sydney Morning Herald detailed the full extent of the Drua’s struggles on their New Zealand trip.

After landing in Auckland near midnight, the team discovered their pre-booked bus was missing. Calls later revealed the booking had been mistakenly canceled, leaving the squad stranded. With no other transport available, players and staff had no choice but to pile into the back of a truck originally meant for their luggage.

The troubles didn’t stop there. In Napier, the Drua shared a hotel with the Hurricanes but were denied a late check-out before their 4 PM match, reportedly due to a triathlon in town. They later learned the Hurricanes had been allowed to stay in their rooms until just before kickoff.

As if that wasn’t enough, when the Drua arrived at McLean Park, they found that their allocated tickets—meant for family and friends—had been for a grass hill behind the posts instead of proper seating.

Following their narrow 38-34 loss to the Hurricanes, Jackson had hinted at the issues but remained focused on his team’s resilience.

Despite the challenges, the Drua refused to let adversity define them, proving their ability to fight through any situation.

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