The Fijian Drua will be based in Lennox Head in New South Wales for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Fijian Drua will be based at Lake Ainsworth for their inaugural Super Rugby campaign. Photo: New South Wales Government Office of Sport
The seaside town on the Far North Coast is situated 20 minutes south of Byron Bay and a one-hour drive from the Gold Coast.
The Drua squad will assemble this week at the Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre, where the players will live and train for the next eight months.
Interim CEO Brian Thorburn said it wasn't easy finding a location where the team could base itself for such an extended period.
"We needed to find a home base where the team could initially prepare over a three month period until the end of January 2022, which then could be used as a home base between Super Rugby Pacific matches during the 2022 season," he said.
The Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre includes accommodation facilities, a gym and training fields. Photo: New South Wales Government Office of Sport
"The Lake Ainsworth facility provides everything that we need. It has an excellent training field, a great gym and all the facilities needed to provide a professional environment for a Super Rugby team.
"Our players will stay in cottages on site, enjoy very high-quality dining facilities, with team rooms and coaches' offices that are a great fit."
Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre is owned and operated by the New South Wales Government Office of Sport, and has a track record of hosting national, international and professional sporting teams.
The facility is just minutes from the township of Lennox Head, adjacent to the ocean and Lake Ainsworth.
"It's just such a stunning part of the world, with a great climate, and being so close to the lake and ocean, makes it ideal for our players as a 'home away from home' for the 2022 season," Thorburn said.
It remains unclear where the Drua will play their home Super Rugby matches next season.
The Fijian based players and management team will depart Nadi for Australia on Thursday morning before beginning their pre-season campaign.
Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in New South Wales do not need to quarantine but must have a Covid-19 test after their arrival and show proof of their vaccination status.
