Meli Laddpeter 
Jone Naqiri
Since joining the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua development side in 2023, 24-year-old Jone Naqiri has gradually started to find his rhythm within the squad.
Naqiri reflects on how much he has learned since becoming part of the team and is optimistic about making his debut this year.
He shares that being alongside some of the best players in the world has inspired him to set his sights on even bigger aspirations.
One of his key goals is to one-day wear the white jersey and represent the Flying Fijians.
Hailing from Naitasiri, Naqiri is motivated by seeing many of his Drua teammates make the transition to the Flying Fijians, and this has fueled his determination to follow in their footsteps.
“Seeing the boys from the Drua playing for the Flying Fijians, now its mostly Drua players that are playing in the Flying Fijians so it motivates me a lot to train hard and gain more knowledge in rugby.”
Naqiri was pulled into the Drua squad after being scouted at the Skipper Cup competition last year.
The towering forward says he has been putting in the hard yards over the past few months, and believes he is ready for a chance to prove himself on the field.
