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Australian govt funding has helped them become a financial powerhouse
That’s in a nation of only one million (v 17 million) and a super rugby grant of around 3 million pa (v 17.5 million)
“Far from being too small to survive, the Drua now bring in $F8 million ($6m) a year in sponsorship alone.
Those sponsorship deals mean their players and the brand are ubiquitous in Fiji, appearing on everything from beer to banking. At last count the Drua had 38 sponsors, and a waiting list of others wanting to join.
By their third year they were also selling about 100,000 pieces of merchandise a year, including about 10,000 Drua jerseys.“