Army soldier 'nervous, but excited' ahead of Rugby World Cup debut with Fiji

British Army rugby union star Guardsman Manuqalo Komatai will start at No 8 for Fiji when they get their World Cup campaign underway on Saturday against Canada.

Komaitai is a soldier with the Irish Guards and is the first Fijian woman to serve in the elite regiment tasked with guarding Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

The 29-year-old says she's "nervous and excited" to start for Fiji tomorrow and has surprised herself by coming so far in such a short time, considering she only took up rugby four years ago after completing her training in 2021, as a way of keeping fit.

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This will be her first Rugby World Cup after making her debut for Fiji at the Oceania Championships earlier this year. 

Hailing from Bau Island in Fiji, Komatai was invited to trial for the national team after she delivered a stand-out performance for the British Army at this year's Inter Service Championships.

Her performance against the RAF at Kingsholm Stadium, where she scored an astonishing four tries, earned her the Player of the Match accolade and solidified her status as a key player in the Army squad.

Fiji's second pool match is against Scotland on 30 August, where Komatai could face up against Scotland's Royal Air Force second row, Sarah Bonar.

She says that Bonar is "a really good player" and that it's really nice to see herself, Sarah, and Amy Cokayne of England, represent the UK Armed Forces on an international stage.

Hear more from Fiji's superstar soldier in our featured video above.