The Marist Rugby Club was formerly known as the St. Johns Marist Rugby Club and was formed in 1969 by past students of St. Johns College and Marist Brothers High School. The Club’s first President was Mr. George Reade.
In 1974 Mr. Reade asked the Marist Brothers if the club could use the Marist Old Boys Association Club below Lambert Hall as the Clubhouse for the SJM team. Since the MOB was not that active, the request was granted. The premise is still being used today as base for the MRC.
The Club was separated in 1995 and the past students of St Johns College formed St. Johns rugby Club and MBHS old Boys formed the MRC. Some former St. Johns students stayed back and kept playing for MRC because it was well established already. This separation was not long because in 2002, most of the St Johns team came back and now form the Marist Rugby Club.
Today the Club is the home of former RKS, QVS, LMS and SGS students too. MRC believes in developing grassroots rugby and has been doing this at Club level ever since it started.
ACHIEVEMENTS
SEVENS
The Club has contributed a lot to provincial and national level in terms of players in both sevens and fifteens. At one time in the early seventies, half of the National Sevens teams were from the club.
The Sevens tournaments in Fiji was started by Mr. George Reade 29 years ago and MRC runs the most successful sevens in the country - the “Carlton Marist Sevens”. This tournament has been “the” tournament in the Fiji Sevens calendar. One can say that Carlton Brewery Fiji Limited and MRC has in a significant way made sevens what it is today in Fiji.
FIFTEENS
MRC has been the Escot Shield holders in the Suva competition a number of times most recently in 2003. They were holders of the Suva Lord Mayor trophy too last year. Since its inception in 1969, the club has had 41 players in total that has played in the National team - more than any other club in Fiji.
Members of the Club are very active in the provincial and National levels of administration too. Some of MRC members were recently elected into the FRU and SRU executive posts. Mr. Pio Bosco Tikoisuva was the first local CEO of FRU. The current and past Chairman of SRU are both members of MRC.
AFFILIATIONS
The MRC has affiliations with Marist NZ and Marist Samoa. Players from the club has played in NZ Marist teams before and will continue to do so in the future especially with the network being strengthened by Marist Clubs in these three countries meeting annually at the Marist NZ Sevens every year. Fiji Marist is working on having NZ and Samoa come over to Fiji for the 30th Carlton Marist Sevens in Feb 2006.
Presently, we have players playing in France, Tahiti, Japan, NZ, Australia, USA and UK. The club has also contributed in the area of coaching, not only locally but also internationally. Paulo Nawalu is continuing his coaching in Japan while Belasio Vukiwai has had his contract extended in Tahiti. Tomasi Tamanivalu is coaching in South America and Tomasi Cama is still coaching in Chinese Taipei.