Vitalina Naikore

Vitalina Naikore

Vitalina Naikore, professional rugby footballer
Personal information
Full name	Vitalina Naikore
Born	(2000-08-25) 25 August 2000 (age 24) Savusavu, Fiji
Height	160 cm (5 ft 3 in)
Weight	68 kg (10 st 10 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2023–24 North Qld Cowboys 11 5 0 0 20 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2023–24 Fiji 3 5 3 0 26
Rugby union
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2022– Fijiana Drua Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2021–23 Fiji
Source: RLP As of 10 December 2024

Vitalina Naikore (born 25 August 2000) is a professional rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Fijiana Drua in the Super W. ^[1]

Primarily a winger, she played rugby league from 2023 to 2024, playing for the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL Women's Premiership and Fiji.

Background

Naikore was born in Savusavu and was originally a soccer player while attending Holy Family Secondary School before switching to rugby union in 2019. ^[2]

Playing career

Rugby union

Naikore represented Fiji at the 2021 Rugby World Cup and 2022 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]}

In 2022, she joined the Fijiana Drua, scoring a hat trick in their Super W Grand Final win. ^{[11] [12]} She scored the fastest Super Rugby Women's try in the Drua's opening match against the NSW Waratahs in 2025, it was scored less than 10 seconds after the kick-off. ^[13]

Rugby league

On 25 May 2023, Naikore signed a three-year contract with the North Queensland Cowboys, joining her Drua teammate Merewalesi Rokouono at the club. ^{[14] [13]}

In Round 1 of the 2023 NRL Women's season, she made her NRLW debut, coming off the bench in a 16–6 loss to the Gold Coast Titans. ^[15] In Round 2, she started on the wing and scored two tries in a 31–20 win over the Newcastle Knights. ^[16]

References

1. world.rugby. "Fiji Rugby World Cup 2021". www.rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
2. "Naikore makes historic move". Fiji Times. 26 May 2023.
3. worldrugby.org. "Fiji set sights on WXV qualification in Australia | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
4. women.rugby. "Debutant full-backs shine on opening day of Oceania Rugby Women's Championship | Women in Rugby | women.rugby". www.women.rugby. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
5. women.rugby. "Fijiana flyer Vitalina Naikore enjoying opportunity to live Rugby World Cup dream | Women in Rugby | women.rugby". www.women.rugby. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
6. Prasad, Vashneel (21 September 2022). "Seruvakula names 32-member squad for Rugby World Cup". Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
7. "Official Website of Fiji Rugby Union » Thrill-A-Minute Fijiana Record First-Ever Rugby World Cup Win". www.fijirugby.com. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
8. World, Rugby (22 October 2022). "Fiji Women's Rugby World Cup Squad 2022 – France 44-0 Fiji". Rugby World. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
9. Content, Syndicated. "Rugby-Fiji strike late to snatch first World Cup victory". WSAU News/Talk 550 AM · 99.9 FM | Wausau, Stevens Point. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
10. world.rugby. "Fijiana flyer Vitalina Naikore enjoying opportunity to live Rugby World Cup dream ｜ Rugby World Cup 2021". www.rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
11. "Vitalina Naikore Rugby | Vitalina Naikore News, Stats & Team | RugbyPass". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
12. "Vitalina Naikore Secures Job, Joins Drua". fijisun.com.fj. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
13. Morton, Finn (28 February 2025). "Watch: Fijian Drua score quickest try in Super Rugby Women's history". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
14. "Cowboys sign Fijian Internationals". Cowboys.com.au. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
15. "Final team list: Eight Cowboys named to make NRLW debuts". NQ Cowboys. 22 July 2023.
16. "Dibb sinks former club in Cowboys upset over Knights". NRL.com. 30 July 2023.

External links

• North Queensland Cowboys profile